August 15, 2025 • 20 mins
Conferences aren’t just about showing up, they’re about showing up prepared.
In this episode of Back in 10, we’re talking mindset, money, and making every conference minute count. From getting your boss to say “yes” to picking the right events and knowing which speakers will change your game, we’re giving you the strategies that turn a trip into an investment.
Special thanks to Chris "The Wizard" Stone of Rock Solid Media, our recording partner!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Chris Stone (00:00):
Here we go in three.
(00:02):
Two, one
Jen Steadman (00:05):
back in 10 is a podcast for dental leaders who do it all
and need 10 minutes to themselves.
Savanah Carlson (00:11):
It's about real conversations, not curated ones, the
kind that happen off the clock, behindclosed doors, and between the chaos of
running a practice and running life.
Jen Steadman (00:20):
Hosted by Savannah Carlson and Jen Sedman, two women who've led,
learned, and laughed through it all.
Savanah Carlson (00:27):
This show brings honest stories, leadership truths.
And the occasional sassy take on what itreally means to lead in dentistry today,
Jen Steadman (00:35):
because sometimes the best leadership happens when
you step away for 10 minutes.
Savanah Carlson (00:40):
This is back in 10.
Hey everyone.
Welcome to back in 10.
I am Savannah.
And I'm Jen.
Last time we started a conversation,we are now deeming meeting mayhem
where we talked about the world ofdental conferences and meetings.
(01:03):
So if you missed that, go grab yourcoffee and listen to part one first,
but if you're already caught up.
Welcome back.
Now let's pick up right where we leftoff before the next patient shows up.
Okay.
What else?
When it comes to going toany type of conference or big
event, um, can we touch on.
(01:27):
Your attitude about going what?
What you bring in termsof your attitude Oh yeah.
To types of events.
Jen Steadman (01:34):
Mm-hmm.
Savanah Carlson (01:35):
Openness and willingness to learn and grow are
at the top for me when it comes toattending any type of educational event.
Mm-hmm.
Because that's why we're there.
Right.
We we're there to learn and to grow.
So if you're not, mm-hmm.
If you don't have that mindset,you might be wasting your money.
Jen Steadman (01:52):
To be honest.
Yeah, no, agreed.
And I think, look, that's what'sgonna make the trip successful
or unsuccessful is you.
It might not even be theevent itself, it's you.
So go there with an open mindset, beprepared to learn, get in that head space.
I would say with that, with yourmindset, try your very best to have
(02:15):
everything in your office, you know?
Tidied up, you know,everything is, is tied up.
You're ready to go.
Pretend like you are going on vacationand no one is gonna talk to you for
the time that you're there unlessthere's an emergency or a fire, right?
Your team needs to know that you are goingthere not only for yourself, but for them.
You are going there to learn what's,you know, new and good, all of the great
(02:40):
stuff, so you can bring that back to theteam and help to support them better.
And you're getting pulled away because.
Someone canceled or someone wassick or something like that, that
they couldn't come into the office.
That's, that's a challenge.
Like you need to, there's only so manyhats that you can wear, and when you're
at the conference, your hat is learning.
(03:00):
Mm-hmm.
Right.
Trying to make sure that you'vedelegated some of your responsibilities
prior to, there's a big thing there aswell, you know, getting prepared and.
Um, who is the one that if someoneneeds to call out, who are they calling?
Because at that time it should not be you.
Savanah Carlson (03:16):
You're absolutely right.
It shouldn't be.
You and I, I have often seen thatmany of my peers at these meetings
and conferences are doing double duty.
They'll be in a class and alsohave their work emails up and like
feverishly replying to things and look.
I don't know what is happeningin the scope of your practice.
(03:39):
I don't know if it's an emergency.
I do know as someone who's sitting ininvested that money in my education that
if you're sitting next to me and youare secretly taking phone calls while
sitting next to me or feverishly answeringemails, and it's an interruption to
learning, that's a pro that's a problem.
(04:00):
Yeah.
Jen Steadman (04:00):
That actually happened to me before that someone answered their phone
from their doctor in the middle of class.
And look, if you have to do that,we don't know what's going on.
It's understandable.
Just excuse yourself.
Right?
That's totally fine.
Just be mindful of the people aroundyou, I think is the biggest thing.
And look, that's not.
Um, gonna be helpful to the personthat's presenting either, you
(04:22):
know, that's one of the big things,like silence your cell phones.
Like everyone is there for a reason,so just be mindful of it and it's
totally okay to excuse yourself.
Go for it.
Do whatever you have to do.
Um, yeah.
Mm-hmm.
I think one thing that I wannamention, 'cause we were talking
about like technology and stufftoo, that I have seen more recently.
Which is actually kind of cool.
(04:44):
So there's different AI programsout there, you know, for meeting
note taking, all of that.
Yep.
Some people now have put theapp on their phone and will ask
exhibitors as they're going around.
If they start to get really deep intoa conversation instead of having to
take notes, they wanna remember things.
They literally will like start a meetingon the app on their phone and it will
(05:06):
record them talking and then it willtake notes for them so they can be fully
engaged in the conversation and nothave to worry like, who do I have to
follow up with and what do I need to do?
And yeah, so that's another thing that'sdefinitely has started, which could
be something useful for people too.
Savanah Carlson (05:22):
AI is beautiful.
It is.
It's not going anywhere.
Welcome it as a friend.
It doesn't have to be a family member,but it needs to be one of your friends at
this point in, in where we are in life.
Um, I think that's a brilliant ideawhen you're having conversations on
the vendor floor, I have seen educatorshave to address the audience about
(05:46):
those note takers because they'vetried to record a full session.
It is, it is really important that if, if.
You need help in taking notes.
You approach the educator beforethey start and ask for permission
to record their sessions.
Typically, they're gonna say no,and you can't be upset about that.
(06:06):
They will send you, well, most ofthem will send you notes or their
slide deck after the presentation.
Um, but if, if you're someone whowants to utilize AI help during
any kind of session, it's really,really imperative that you ask.
Because that is proprietary.
Be respectful of that.
Balls to the walls use ai.
Jen Steadman (06:26):
That's why not.
It's like with anything, right?
We know even in dentalpractices, it's like.
When a patient calls, like you have tonotify them if the call's being recorded.
So you wanna make sure that whether,you know, you're having a conversation
with a vendor or if you're in a class,people know, and that they've given
you permission to be able to do that.
Mm-hmm.
Um, yeah.
Great point.
Mm-hmm.
Savanah Carlson (06:47):
Can we talk about how the investment is made for these
conferences and for your education?
I've spoken to, to many of ourpeers who have said, how have you,
how have you asked your doctor?
To help cover this?
Do they cover it at a hundred percent?
For you, is it part of your benefitspackage as being an employee at that
practice, or is this a personal investmentthat you have to make year over year?
(07:11):
There are lots of really great conferencesand meetings that we wanna attend.
It can get mad expensive.
These conferences arenot getting any cheaper.
No.
And now that everything is goingback to in-person and shying away
from virtual, you could spend easily.
10 grand to 12 grand a year on goingto four events, between flights,
(07:34):
hotel, travel, preparation time.
I mean, let's, let's chata little bit about that.
When you went to any of thesemeetings, were you off the clock
Jen Steadman (07:47):
or were you on the clock?
Hmm, good question.
So.
I was on the clock.
Same personally.
Um, and I'm doing it formyself and I'm doing it for
the business at the same time.
That's another reason why I always,you know, business casual, right?
Because it's, I'm, I'm on the clock.
I'm working right now.
(08:08):
Um, and with that too, what I did is Ialways tried to help to, you know, get
some information from other people in theindustry that my boss knew and respected.
Got their insight prior to me even asking.
So then it's not just me coming, it's,you know, talking to your different
(08:29):
sales reps, talking to different peoplethat have been there before and say
like, look, what did you get out of it?
Um, and just be able to give a littlebit more information instead of like,
I just want to go, it is, I wannago to the conference and here's why.
And it's not just time away, right?
It's not just a, it's.
(08:51):
It's not just a want, Iguess it's a need, right?
Like I need to go here.
This is why, this is why I need to go.
I'm, you know, gonna be able tonetwork with people in the industry.
I'm going to like, look at theinitiatives that you have coming up
in the pipeline and do your research.
Like, there's this speaker here that Iwanna go and I, this is a pain point for
(09:11):
us and I wanna get some more information.
Right?
Like, pull in and do all of your researchand, uh, bring that to the forefront.
I think that's definitelyhelpful to show the value.
Savanah Carlson (09:22):
Right.
And some events do have thislisted on their website of like,
how, help me, ask my doctor orhelp me, help me get this covered.
And they'll give you templates.
Uh, I mean, I know I createdone for a previous employer for
a huge event, um, and took myknowledge and put it on the paper.
(09:43):
Like how would, how wouldI ask if I needed to?
Here comes AI as well.
Okay.
You see this really awesome conference.
You heard lots of really greatthings, but you've never been.
Go to ai, copy the the event website,say, Hey, ai, I really, really,
really wanna attend this event.
It's a great investment inmy education and it's a great
(10:05):
investment for my office's education.
Can you pull out highlights for meto discuss with my doctor about.
Why this is a good investmentfor the both of us.
Mm-hmm.
See what comes out of that.
For those, those talking points,then you draft your own letter.
Don't ask AI to do all of this for you.
(10:26):
Have some authenticity in whatyou're doing, and use those
points as a conversation starter.
Mm-hmm.
I cannot recommend that enoughreally diving into, uh, AI and
asking it to help you furtheryour career in terms of education.
Do it.
Jen Steadman (10:44):
Mm-hmm.
So, so ladies, ladies, the wizard israising his hand for just a second.
Okay.
Wiz.
So you're giving all these great tipson how to prepare for conferences,
close note taking, convincingyour doctor, all those things.
But I think one of thebiggest questions that.
I would have, if I was consideringgoing to conferences, Uhhuh is how in
(11:08):
the hell do I pick which ones to goto because there are so many of them.
How do I pick the right onesto go to because mm-hmm.
Uh, again, I, I think obviously it,it varies based on the, the position
that you're in, in the office, right.
I mean, there's, there's,there's, there seems like there's
(11:30):
conferences for every specific area.
Mm-hmm.
But there's also lots ofconferences for every specific area.
So I, and, and I know you'regetting ready to clock out.
Right.
So maybe just your top, your top two,each of you, what are your top two
tips that you would give people towhen it comes to picking a conference?
(11:56):
I got one right off the bat.
Go ahead, Jen.
So, I usually look at whothe speakers are first.
So for me, yes, material is important,um, but the person that is delivering
that material is really what's gonnahelp to, um, enhance what you're able to
(12:16):
take back and what you're able to learn.
So honestly, when I've gone to conferencesand I've looked into conferences before,
I will look to see who is speaking.
I don't even know what their topicis, but I'm gonna look and see
who's speaking first and then seeif their topic aligns with something
that I'm, that I'm going through.
Now, if you don't know some of thespeakers out there, look on their YouTube
(12:38):
channel, look on their websites and seethere are some amazing speakers out there.
I have, you know, I have twofaves that I will always go see.
Um.
Dito.
One of them is,
Savanah Carlson (12:51):
can I, I share a podcast with, oh my God, don't make me cry.
She, you are one of the most amazingdental speakers on the circuit right now.
I'm not even joking, like I'm not tryingto blow smoke up your ass either, even
though I am, because you're one of my bestfriends and I love you and you're amazing.
But if you have not heard JenSteadman live, you are missing out.
(13:15):
I'm plugging you right now.
Oh my gosh, her education.
I, I've, okay.
I have goosebumps.
Her hiring education.
I'm, you've heard the past twoepisodes of this podcast, right?
I just shut my, my frigging mouth.
I let, let her go like that.
That is her thing.
Um, her education is fierce and topnotch and able to be implemented
(13:39):
in stages effectively and easily.
You need to go here, Jennifer, speak.
You need to.
Okay.
That, that, that's all.
Keep going, Jen.
I love you.
Thank you.
That was so kind.
Thank
Jen Steadman (13:54):
you.
The truth.
It's the truth.
You know I speak truth, Jen.
I know, I know.
I know the hard truth, but.
So I think, look, some of the thingsthat, that I have learned to include
in the presentations that I do, I havebecause of the speakers that I've seen
and have seen the way that audience havereacted and the way that I have reacted
(14:17):
and the things that I've taken back.
So those are the thingsthat I like to include.
We've been to lots of conferences.
Um.
I'll say my top.
I'm just gonna, I'm gonnasay my top two speakers.
Can I do that?
Can I just do that?
No.
Okay, perfect.
Savanah Carlson (14:31):
Just start your podcast.
Do whatever
Jen Steadman (14:31):
you want.
Okay, perfect.
I'm just gonna do it.
So, uh, actually I top three.
I'm gonna say top three.
Sorry to everyone else.
I love everyone, but these are theones that I feel like I was always
able to go back and implementsomething in my practice after
I attended one of their courses.
Okay.
Go.
Okay.
I hope they're mine too.
I bet they are.
(14:53):
Judy Koff.
Okay.
Yeah.
Theresa Duncan.
Savanah Carlson (14:59):
Okay.
Yeah.
Jen Steadman (15:00):
And Carrie Weber.
Savanah Carlson (15:02):
Oh, girl.
Slam.
Don.
I'm telling you, actually,I have to add two.
We can do, we do a top five.
Oh, yeah.
I mean, Catherine, I tell Belt, oh shoot,
Jen Steadman (15:16):
girl.
Queen of Communication.
Savanah Carlson (15:17):
Yes.
Okay.
That YS.
She leads that pride.
I, I'm happy to be part of her pride.
Jen Steadman (15:25):
Oh my gosh, I love her.
I actually, like, personally flew toCalifornia and took one of her courses
because like a two day course queen.
Oh my goodness gracious.
Like unbelievable.
Yes.
Savanah Carlson (15:40):
Yeah.
Yes.
There's, I mean, there's so many.
Jen Steadman (15:43):
There's so many.
But look, those are, thoseare like four that we.
Follow and know personally of theimpact that the material that they
have and the way that they deliverit, you can, anyone I'm gonna say
can take something from their coursesregardless of what, um, industry you're
(16:07):
in, you don't even have to be dead.
Right?
Honestly, like regardless of the industry,they have amazing things to share.
I
Savanah Carlson (2) (16:14):
have the
Jen Steadman (16:14):
other one,
Savanah Carlson (16:14):
so that was our four, but I have the, the, the other one.
Steve Anderson
Jen Steadman (16:22):
helay his education.
He's so good.
Savanah Carlson (16:24):
And we're not sponsored by any of these speakers.
We are just, we're advocates of education,and these are our top five right now.
There's no hate to anybody else.
I will gladly mention every other speakerthat I absolutely adore, like Dana
Watson, Lois Banta, Uhhuh, um mm-hmm.
Jen Steadman (16:46):
There's so many Rachel Wall.
There's so many.
Love.
Rachel.
Savanah Carlson (16:52):
I think we've pushed our break right now where we've totally,
Jen Steadman (16:56):
I think so.
Savanah Carlson (16:57):
Yeah.
Jen Steadman (16:58):
I think the bosses might be a little upset.
Savanah Carlson (2) (17:00):
Now we're, we're in the bathroom on our phones.
Jen Steadman (17:02):
That's what we're, we're we are like after hours right now.
Yeah.
But I think look in, in preparingfor a conference, a few things.
Right.
Um.
One thing I wanna, well,this might be a two-parter.
Sorry, y'all.
So one thing I might I wannasay real quick is if you go to
(17:25):
your doctor and they say no.
Savanah Carlson (17:27):
Mm-hmm.
Jen Steadman (17:28):
That can be a sucker punch to the gut when you've worked so hard to.
Be able to have the opportunity to evensit in front of them and say, look,
this is something that I feel like thatwe need to do, and I really would like
you to invest in me and invest in yourpractice by sending me to this event.
If they say no, find out why.
(17:49):
Why, why, right?
And it.
Is there something that they, maybe theyhad a bad experience before that they sent
someone to a conference and they just end,that person ended up not gonna classes and
they were in the casino the whole time.
You have no idea the reason why.
So ask the questions and look, maybe it'ssomething that your doctor goes with you.
(18:10):
Maybe the two of you goas a leadership team too.
Um, and if you just find out thatthat doctor just is not invested
in education and furthering, um.
Yourself and furthering their business,that might not be the right place for you.
So just keep those things in mind.
But I think sometimesa no might not be a no.
(18:33):
It might might be a, not right now.
Maybe they need more information.
So just ask them like what the barrier is.
Is there something else that you can doto support them and just be kind because
you don't know what's going on either.
You might not know all of their financialinformation, depending on what level.
Um, you like what you'relooking at in the practice.
So just, just be kind, but just askthe questions, um, and, and see.
(18:58):
And honestly, there's been times I've goneto conferences and invested in myself.
I have not had same financial backing or Ihad to take time off to be able to attend.
That's up to you to decide.
Um, and that's okay too, but just.
Ask the questions.
Advocate for yourself.
(19:19):
Please advocate for yourself.
Savanah Carlson (19:22):
Yes, you deserve it.
'cause you, it's not.
You're not in just a job.
This is your career.
Jen.
It's definitely time to clock out.
Yes ma'am.
But, but we'd love to extend this.
So if you come back next week,we wanna discuss the types of
education that really resonatewith us when we attend conferences.
(19:44):
What is it about speakersthat are impactful?
Why?
Why do we wanna hear the education?
What are they doing?
Um, and then also, what do we dowith the education when we're done?
How do we implement change?
With what we've learned.
So let's talk about that and youknow, we should throw in swag too.
(20:04):
I wanna talk about what myfavorite swag is when it comes to
going to courses and conferences.
Yes, please.
Let's do it.
Sounds good.
Alright y'all.
Hi everyone.
We got this.
We got it.
Thanks for spending a fewminutes with us on back in 10.
If something made
Jen Steadman (20:22):
you laugh, nod or feel a little more human, share
it with the friend and makesure that you're subscribed.
You can also follow us on
Savanah Carlson (2) (20:29):
Instagram at Back in 10 Pod for more behind the
scenes updates and probably a little
Jen Steadman (20:36):
chaos.
We're not here to have it all figured out.
We are just here to tell you thethings that we wish someone had told
us and remind you that leadershipdoesn't have to be perfect,
Savanah Carlson (20:46):
just real.
We'll be back in 10 in 10.
Here we go in three.
(00:02):
Two, one
Jen Steadman (00:05):
back in 10 is a podcast for dental leaders who do it all
and need 10 minutes to themselves.
Savanah Carlson (00:11):
It's about real conversations, not curated ones, the
kind that happen off the clock, behindclosed doors, and between the chaos of
running a practice and running life.
Jen Steadman (00:20):
Hosted by Savannah Carlson and Jen Sedman, two women who've led,
learned, and laughed through it all.
Savanah Carlson (00:27):
This show brings honest stories, leadership truths.
And the occasional sassy take on what itreally means to lead in dentistry today,
Jen Steadman (00:35):
because sometimes the best leadership happens when
you step away for 10 minutes.
Savanah Carlson (00:40):
This is back in 10.
Hey everyone.
Welcome to back in 10.
I am Savannah.
And I'm Jen.
Last time we started a conversation,we are now deeming meeting mayhem
where we talked about the world ofdental conferences and meetings.
(01:03):
So if you missed that, go grab yourcoffee and listen to part one first,
but if you're already caught up.
Welcome back.
Now let's pick up right where we leftoff before the next patient shows up.
Okay.
What else?
When it comes to going toany type of conference or big
event, um, can we touch on.
(01:27):
Your attitude about going what?
What you bring in termsof your attitude Oh yeah.
To types of events.
Jen Steadman (01:34):
Mm-hmm.
Savanah Carlson (01:35):
Openness and willingness to learn and grow are
at the top for me when it comes toattending any type of educational event.
Mm-hmm.
Because that's why we're there.
Right.
We we're there to learn and to grow.
So if you're not, mm-hmm.
If you don't have that mindset,you might be wasting your money.
Jen Steadman (01:52):
To be honest.
Yeah, no, agreed.
And I think, look, that's what'sgonna make the trip successful
or unsuccessful is you.
It might not even be theevent itself, it's you.
So go there with an open mindset, beprepared to learn, get in that head space.
I would say with that, with yourmindset, try your very best to have
(02:15):
everything in your office, you know?
Tidied up, you know,everything is, is tied up.
You're ready to go.
Pretend like you are going on vacationand no one is gonna talk to you for
the time that you're there unlessthere's an emergency or a fire, right?
Your team needs to know that you are goingthere not only for yourself, but for them.
You are going there to learn what's,you know, new and good, all of the great
(02:40):
stuff, so you can bring that back to theteam and help to support them better.
And you're getting pulled away because.
Someone canceled or someone wassick or something like that, that
they couldn't come into the office.
That's, that's a challenge.
Like you need to, there's only so manyhats that you can wear, and when you're
at the conference, your hat is learning.
(03:00):
Mm-hmm.
Right.
Trying to make sure that you'vedelegated some of your responsibilities
prior to, there's a big thing there aswell, you know, getting prepared and.
Um, who is the one that if someoneneeds to call out, who are they calling?
Because at that time it should not be you.
Savanah Carlson (03:16):
You're absolutely right.
It shouldn't be.
You and I, I have often seen thatmany of my peers at these meetings
and conferences are doing double duty.
They'll be in a class and alsohave their work emails up and like
feverishly replying to things and look.
I don't know what is happeningin the scope of your practice.
(03:39):
I don't know if it's an emergency.
I do know as someone who's sitting ininvested that money in my education that
if you're sitting next to me and youare secretly taking phone calls while
sitting next to me or feverishly answeringemails, and it's an interruption to
learning, that's a pro that's a problem.
(04:00):
Yeah.
Jen Steadman (04:00):
That actually happened to me before that someone answered their phone
from their doctor in the middle of class.
And look, if you have to do that,we don't know what's going on.
It's understandable.
Just excuse yourself.
Right?
That's totally fine.
Just be mindful of the people aroundyou, I think is the biggest thing.
And look, that's not.
Um, gonna be helpful to the personthat's presenting either, you
(04:22):
know, that's one of the big things,like silence your cell phones.
Like everyone is there for a reason,so just be mindful of it and it's
totally okay to excuse yourself.
Go for it.
Do whatever you have to do.
Um, yeah.
Mm-hmm.
I think one thing that I wannamention, 'cause we were talking
about like technology and stufftoo, that I have seen more recently.
Which is actually kind of cool.
(04:44):
So there's different AI programsout there, you know, for meeting
note taking, all of that.
Yep.
Some people now have put theapp on their phone and will ask
exhibitors as they're going around.
If they start to get really deep intoa conversation instead of having to
take notes, they wanna remember things.
They literally will like start a meetingon the app on their phone and it will
(05:06):
record them talking and then it willtake notes for them so they can be fully
engaged in the conversation and nothave to worry like, who do I have to
follow up with and what do I need to do?
And yeah, so that's another thing that'sdefinitely has started, which could
be something useful for people too.
Savanah Carlson (05:22):
AI is beautiful.
It is.
It's not going anywhere.
Welcome it as a friend.
It doesn't have to be a family member,but it needs to be one of your friends at
this point in, in where we are in life.
Um, I think that's a brilliant ideawhen you're having conversations on
the vendor floor, I have seen educatorshave to address the audience about
(05:46):
those note takers because they'vetried to record a full session.
It is, it is really important that if, if.
You need help in taking notes.
You approach the educator beforethey start and ask for permission
to record their sessions.
Typically, they're gonna say no,and you can't be upset about that.
(06:06):
They will send you, well, most ofthem will send you notes or their
slide deck after the presentation.
Um, but if, if you're someone whowants to utilize AI help during
any kind of session, it's really,really imperative that you ask.
Because that is proprietary.
Be respectful of that.
Balls to the walls use ai.
Jen Steadman (06:26):
That's why not.
It's like with anything, right?
We know even in dentalpractices, it's like.
When a patient calls, like you have tonotify them if the call's being recorded.
So you wanna make sure that whether,you know, you're having a conversation
with a vendor or if you're in a class,people know, and that they've given
you permission to be able to do that.
Mm-hmm.
Um, yeah.
Great point.
Mm-hmm.
Savanah Carlson (06:47):
Can we talk about how the investment is made for these
conferences and for your education?
I've spoken to, to many of ourpeers who have said, how have you,
how have you asked your doctor?
To help cover this?
Do they cover it at a hundred percent?
For you, is it part of your benefitspackage as being an employee at that
practice, or is this a personal investmentthat you have to make year over year?
(07:11):
There are lots of really great conferencesand meetings that we wanna attend.
It can get mad expensive.
These conferences arenot getting any cheaper.
No.
And now that everything is goingback to in-person and shying away
from virtual, you could spend easily.
10 grand to 12 grand a year on goingto four events, between flights,
(07:34):
hotel, travel, preparation time.
I mean, let's, let's chata little bit about that.
When you went to any of thesemeetings, were you off the clock
Jen Steadman (07:47):
or were you on the clock?
Hmm, good question.
So.
I was on the clock.
Same personally.
Um, and I'm doing it formyself and I'm doing it for
the business at the same time.
That's another reason why I always,you know, business casual, right?
Because it's, I'm, I'm on the clock.
I'm working right now.
(08:08):
Um, and with that too, what I did is Ialways tried to help to, you know, get
some information from other people in theindustry that my boss knew and respected.
Got their insight prior to me even asking.
So then it's not just me coming, it's,you know, talking to your different
(08:29):
sales reps, talking to different peoplethat have been there before and say
like, look, what did you get out of it?
Um, and just be able to give a littlebit more information instead of like,
I just want to go, it is, I wannago to the conference and here's why.
And it's not just time away, right?
It's not just a, it's.
(08:51):
It's not just a want, Iguess it's a need, right?
Like I need to go here.
This is why, this is why I need to go.
I'm, you know, gonna be able tonetwork with people in the industry.
I'm going to like, look at theinitiatives that you have coming up
in the pipeline and do your research.
Like, there's this speaker here that Iwanna go and I, this is a pain point for
(09:11):
us and I wanna get some more information.
Right?
Like, pull in and do all of your researchand, uh, bring that to the forefront.
I think that's definitelyhelpful to show the value.
Savanah Carlson (09:22):
Right.
And some events do have thislisted on their website of like,
how, help me, ask my doctor orhelp me, help me get this covered.
And they'll give you templates.
Uh, I mean, I know I createdone for a previous employer for
a huge event, um, and took myknowledge and put it on the paper.
(09:43):
Like how would, how wouldI ask if I needed to?
Here comes AI as well.
Okay.
You see this really awesome conference.
You heard lots of really greatthings, but you've never been.
Go to ai, copy the the event website,say, Hey, ai, I really, really,
really wanna attend this event.
It's a great investment inmy education and it's a great
(10:05):
investment for my office's education.
Can you pull out highlights for meto discuss with my doctor about.
Why this is a good investmentfor the both of us.
Mm-hmm.
See what comes out of that.
For those, those talking points,then you draft your own letter.
Don't ask AI to do all of this for you.
(10:26):
Have some authenticity in whatyou're doing, and use those
points as a conversation starter.
Mm-hmm.
I cannot recommend that enoughreally diving into, uh, AI and
asking it to help you furtheryour career in terms of education.
Do it.
Jen Steadman (10:44):
Mm-hmm.
So, so ladies, ladies, the wizard israising his hand for just a second.
Okay.
Wiz.
So you're giving all these great tipson how to prepare for conferences,
close note taking, convincingyour doctor, all those things.
But I think one of thebiggest questions that.
I would have, if I was consideringgoing to conferences, Uhhuh is how in
(11:08):
the hell do I pick which ones to goto because there are so many of them.
How do I pick the right onesto go to because mm-hmm.
Uh, again, I, I think obviously it,it varies based on the, the position
that you're in, in the office, right.
I mean, there's, there's,there's, there seems like there's
(11:30):
conferences for every specific area.
Mm-hmm.
But there's also lots ofconferences for every specific area.
So I, and, and I know you'regetting ready to clock out.
Right.
So maybe just your top, your top two,each of you, what are your top two
tips that you would give people towhen it comes to picking a conference?
(11:56):
I got one right off the bat.
Go ahead, Jen.
So, I usually look at whothe speakers are first.
So for me, yes, material is important,um, but the person that is delivering
that material is really what's gonnahelp to, um, enhance what you're able to
(12:16):
take back and what you're able to learn.
So honestly, when I've gone to conferencesand I've looked into conferences before,
I will look to see who is speaking.
I don't even know what their topicis, but I'm gonna look and see
who's speaking first and then seeif their topic aligns with something
that I'm, that I'm going through.
Now, if you don't know some of thespeakers out there, look on their YouTube
(12:38):
channel, look on their websites and seethere are some amazing speakers out there.
I have, you know, I have twofaves that I will always go see.
Um.
Dito.
One of them is,
Savanah Carlson (12:51):
can I, I share a podcast with, oh my God, don't make me cry.
She, you are one of the most amazingdental speakers on the circuit right now.
I'm not even joking, like I'm not tryingto blow smoke up your ass either, even
though I am, because you're one of my bestfriends and I love you and you're amazing.
But if you have not heard JenSteadman live, you are missing out.
(13:15):
I'm plugging you right now.
Oh my gosh, her education.
I, I've, okay.
I have goosebumps.
Her hiring education.
I'm, you've heard the past twoepisodes of this podcast, right?
I just shut my, my frigging mouth.
I let, let her go like that.
That is her thing.
Um, her education is fierce and topnotch and able to be implemented
(13:39):
in stages effectively and easily.
You need to go here, Jennifer, speak.
You need to.
Okay.
That, that, that's all.
Keep going, Jen.
I love you.
Thank you.
That was so kind.
Thank
Jen Steadman (13:54):
you.
The truth.
It's the truth.
You know I speak truth, Jen.
I know, I know.
I know the hard truth, but.
So I think, look, some of the thingsthat, that I have learned to include
in the presentations that I do, I havebecause of the speakers that I've seen
and have seen the way that audience havereacted and the way that I have reacted
(14:17):
and the things that I've taken back.
So those are the thingsthat I like to include.
We've been to lots of conferences.
Um.
I'll say my top.
I'm just gonna, I'm gonnasay my top two speakers.
Can I do that?
Can I just do that?
No.
Okay, perfect.
Savanah Carlson (14:31):
Just start your podcast.
Do whatever
Jen Steadman (14:31):
you want.
Okay, perfect.
I'm just gonna do it.
So, uh, actually I top three.
I'm gonna say top three.
Sorry to everyone else.
I love everyone, but these are theones that I feel like I was always
able to go back and implementsomething in my practice after
I attended one of their courses.
Okay.
Go.
Okay.
I hope they're mine too.
I bet they are.
(14:53):
Judy Koff.
Okay.
Yeah.
Theresa Duncan.
Savanah Carlson (14:59):
Okay.
Yeah.
Jen Steadman (15:00):
And Carrie Weber.
Savanah Carlson (15:02):
Oh, girl.
Slam.
Don.
I'm telling you, actually,I have to add two.
We can do, we do a top five.
Oh, yeah.
I mean, Catherine, I tell Belt, oh shoot,
Jen Steadman (15:16):
girl.
Queen of Communication.
Savanah Carlson (15:17):
Yes.
Okay.
That YS.
She leads that pride.
I, I'm happy to be part of her pride.
Jen Steadman (15:25):
Oh my gosh, I love her.
I actually, like, personally flew toCalifornia and took one of her courses
because like a two day course queen.
Oh my goodness gracious.
Like unbelievable.
Yes.
Savanah Carlson (15:40):
Yeah.
Yes.
There's, I mean, there's so many.
Jen Steadman (15:43):
There's so many.
But look, those are, thoseare like four that we.
Follow and know personally of theimpact that the material that they
have and the way that they deliverit, you can, anyone I'm gonna say
can take something from their coursesregardless of what, um, industry you're
(16:07):
in, you don't even have to be dead.
Right?
Honestly, like regardless of the industry,they have amazing things to share.
I
Savanah Carlson (2) (16:14):
have the
Jen Steadman (16:14):
other one,
Savanah Carlson (16:14):
so that was our four, but I have the, the, the other one.
Steve Anderson
Jen Steadman (16:22):
helay his education.
He's so good.
Savanah Carlson (16:24):
And we're not sponsored by any of these speakers.
We are just, we're advocates of education,and these are our top five right now.
There's no hate to anybody else.
I will gladly mention every other speakerthat I absolutely adore, like Dana
Watson, Lois Banta, Uhhuh, um mm-hmm.
Jen Steadman (16:46):
There's so many Rachel Wall.
There's so many.
Love.
Rachel.
Savanah Carlson (16:52):
I think we've pushed our break right now where we've totally,
Jen Steadman (16:56):
I think so.
Savanah Carlson (16:57):
Yeah.
Jen Steadman (16:58):
I think the bosses might be a little upset.
Savanah Carlson (2) (17:00):
Now we're, we're in the bathroom on our phones.
Jen Steadman (17:02):
That's what we're, we're we are like after hours right now.
Yeah.
But I think look in, in preparingfor a conference, a few things.
Right.
Um.
One thing I wanna, well,this might be a two-parter.
Sorry, y'all.
So one thing I might I wannasay real quick is if you go to
(17:25):
your doctor and they say no.
Savanah Carlson (17:27):
Mm-hmm.
Jen Steadman (17:28):
That can be a sucker punch to the gut when you've worked so hard to.
Be able to have the opportunity to evensit in front of them and say, look,
this is something that I feel like thatwe need to do, and I really would like
you to invest in me and invest in yourpractice by sending me to this event.
If they say no, find out why.
(17:49):
Why, why, right?
And it.
Is there something that they, maybe theyhad a bad experience before that they sent
someone to a conference and they just end,that person ended up not gonna classes and
they were in the casino the whole time.
You have no idea the reason why.
So ask the questions and look, maybe it'ssomething that your doctor goes with you.
(18:10):
Maybe the two of you goas a leadership team too.
Um, and if you just find out thatthat doctor just is not invested
in education and furthering, um.
Yourself and furthering their business,that might not be the right place for you.
So just keep those things in mind.
But I think sometimesa no might not be a no.
(18:33):
It might might be a, not right now.
Maybe they need more information.
So just ask them like what the barrier is.
Is there something else that you can doto support them and just be kind because
you don't know what's going on either.
You might not know all of their financialinformation, depending on what level.
Um, you like what you'relooking at in the practice.
So just, just be kind, but just askthe questions, um, and, and see.
(18:58):
And honestly, there's been times I've goneto conferences and invested in myself.
I have not had same financial backing or Ihad to take time off to be able to attend.
That's up to you to decide.
Um, and that's okay too, but just.
Ask the questions.
Advocate for yourself.
(19:19):
Please advocate for yourself.
Savanah Carlson (19:22):
Yes, you deserve it.
'cause you, it's not.
You're not in just a job.
This is your career.
Jen.
It's definitely time to clock out.
Yes ma'am.
But, but we'd love to extend this.
So if you come back next week,we wanna discuss the types of
education that really resonatewith us when we attend conferences.
(19:44):
What is it about speakersthat are impactful?
Why?
Why do we wanna hear the education?
What are they doing?
Um, and then also, what do we dowith the education when we're done?
How do we implement change?
With what we've learned.
So let's talk about that and youknow, we should throw in swag too.
(20:04):
I wanna talk about what myfavorite swag is when it comes to
going to courses and conferences.
Yes, please.
Let's do it.
Sounds good.
Alright y'all.
Hi everyone.
We got this.
We got it.
Thanks for spending a fewminutes with us on back in 10.
If something made
Jen Steadman (20:22):
you laugh, nod or feel a little more human, share
it with the friend and makesure that you're subscribed.
You can also follow us on
Savanah Carlson (2) (20:29):
Instagram at Back in 10 Pod for more behind the
scenes updates and probably a little
Jen Steadman (20:36):
chaos.
We're not here to have it all figured out.
We are just here to tell you thethings that we wish someone had told
us and remind you that leadershipdoesn't have to be perfect,
Savanah Carlson (20:46):
just real.
We'll be back in 10 in 10.
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