There’s a quote by Reba McEntire that I like and anyone that knows me would say it sums me up, “To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone, and a funny bone.” Well, I can say with confidence that I have all three. Like anyone else, I’ve spent much of my life on a roller coaster, experiencing life’s many ups and downs. And I firmly believe that life truly is what you make of it. You can’t let success make you forget your humble beginnings, never let failure get you down, and have fun along the way. Because I can tell you today that some of my greatest blessings in this life were built from failures and heartaches. So, while my story has a happy ending, the journey wasn’t always rainbows and sunshine. But I hope that my story helps you see that you can turn anything around if you don’t give up on yourself.
I was like any other ordinary teenager with graduation approaching, except I felt a little lost because I didn’t have the idealistic career path planned. I’d find some work because I’ve always been a hard worker. A strong work ethic was embedded in me during my childhood. But I knew, more than anything, that I wanted a husband and a family. Then, graduation day came and went. Moving out of my parent’s house became my priority. I worked four jobs that summer after graduation; part-time at TCBY Yogurt, 12-hour shifts on Sundays at Sears Payment Center, the graveyard shift at Sams Wholesale, and I ran a forklift working at the airport for US Airways. The hours turned into days and days became weeks. I didn’t have much time for friends, but I didn’t mind. I was going to reach my goal no matter what it took.
By the end of the summer, friends were going their separate ways heading off to college and I panicked. I felt as though I, too, should be going to college. After all, that’s what everyone else I knew my age was doing. So, I took out a loan and enrolled in my local community college. I wasn’t quite sure what I was doing or why I was going. I was laser focused on one job, working full-time at the airport, which helped me cover my living expenses and a little extra so that I could get my own place. Juggling work and school meant working late-night shifts and when I wasn’t working, I was studious. I hardly had time for anything outside of work and school but managed to cross paths with a man that later became my husband. Life was looking up for me. I was well on my way by now with a career, some college courses under my belt, and a relationship.
Soon after tying the knot, my husband and I decided to relocate to Charlotte, North Carolina, for a promising career opportunity that he had. Between his job that required a lot of traveling, and my hectic work and school schedule, we worked hard to find time together as a married couple. Time apart was challenging and experiencing life away from my family and where I had been born and raised my entire life up to this point, was nothing short of a heartache. Then came a big change for me. My husband and I needed more time together if we were going to make our marriage work. I knew I needed to make some changes, but I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to drop out of college, and I needed to work. There were many late-night phone conversations with my mom and some other friends in which I experienced a flood of emotions. Sometimes I’d cry, I was so distraught over making the right decision without feeling as though I’d given up on my dreams or settled.
After much thought and consideration, I decided to refocus my college aspirations in the dental field, working toward dental hygiene. My school had a wait list to get into the dental hygiene program, but I could busy myself with the prerequisite courses for the time being. During this time, my father-in-law introduced me to his dentist, who later invited me to observe in his practice. I immediately fell in love with dentistry and knew that I was destined to work in the dental field in some capacity. The ability to impact someone’s life by helping to build their confidence and improving their health was contagious. My passion for dentistry would soon pay off as I was offered a position at the office where I had observed. I accepted the offer as a sterilization technician, cleaning and sterilizing dental instruments and operatory rooms after procedures. Being a sterilization technician isn’t the most glamourous job, but I didn’t care. I was happy and I put a smile on my face from the moment I walked into that office until I left at 5:00 pm.
Unfortunately, while I had a sincere passion for my job, my co-workers were difficult. Don’t get me wrong. I certainly tried. But it was a toxic work environment, to say the least. I worked with 21 women who were burnt out, stagnant, and no longer found an ounce of joy in their jobs. Sabotage, backstabbing, gossip, and the silent treatment were regular occurrences. Even the doctors didn’t speak to each other. I spent my lunch breaks sitting in my car alone, upset, sometimes crying. At home, as bedtime approached, I’d get a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach, dreading going in to work the next morning, wondering how I’d get through another day. But I never gave myself the choice not to show up. It was disheartening that everyone else in my office only had one goal – get to quittin’ time. No matter how hard they tried to crush my spirit, I persevered. I wasn’t going to let anyone distract me from my goal.
Over the next year, the dentist I worked for was gracious enough and saw my potential, so he offered to send me to Bowman Grey to learn how to become a dental assistant. Pretty soon, the news broke that our office was about to undergo significant changes. One partner was leaving, and the other was facing retirement and so he would reduce his working hours. I wondered where that left me. I was thankful that one of my co-workers, Amanda, offered to help me hone my dental assistant skills, after hours! She was willing to give of her time and I accepted, without hesitation. I was like a sponge soaking in everything she shared. Amanda invested in me, and little did I know that her giving so much would help give me the confidence that I needed. Within a few months, I felt ready, and I approached the partner that was leaving and asked if there was an opportunity for me at his new practice. And there was!
The new office was like uncharted territory for me with up to date, cutting-edge technology. We used digital dentistry, became a paperless office, and employed various marketing strategies and techniques. Before long, I learned the ins and outs of running the front office, all within my first year. My gumption to seek a new, better opportunity paid off big time. Over the next few years, I received unparalleled education and training opportunities. I quickly found out that the world of dentistry was far greater than I had ever realized or even seen before. I became a student at The Nash Institute where I met Dr. Ross and Debora Nash, Dr. Ed Suh, Dr. Bob Lowe, Shannon Pace Brinker, Dr. Ron Jackson, and the late Bob Passaro, CDT, and many other influential people who had a hand in my education. I was on fire! I was grasping at everything I could to learn more about dentistry. I was unstoppable. I felt the talent fostering within me, but I didn’t know how to use it. I felt like a water hose on full blast. After completing training courses, I’d volunteer to clean up after other trainings so that I could learn as much as I could. I knew that I’d never quit learning.
Another career change was on the horizon. I still remember the day that Shanno Pace Brinker of The Nash Institute called me about an opportunity that she thought I’d be interested in. She wasn’t wrong. I spent the next four years chairside with Dr. Nash, exposed to writing, teaching, traveling for business, and learning everything related to dentistry. Dr. Nash is an intelligent man and he saw my potential, which is why he gave me honest, although sometimes harsh, feedback. Sometimes it hurt my feelings, but I knew better. His words made me stronger and smarter. Being part of The Nash Institute was more to me than just a career. It hit me on a personal level as well. I met Dr. Ed Suh of Supremia Dentistry in Raleigh, North Carolina, who enlightened me into the world of neuromuscular dentistry. Through this learning experience I discovered that there was help for my own pain and suffering due to a horrendous car accident I experienced some years ago. I suffered from daily headaches that felt debilitating at times. I’d stand up from my dental assistant’s chair with back and neck pain, achy legs and hands, and tingly fingers. I thought that would be part of my life forever and that I’d just learn to deal with the pain until I learned about neuromuscular dentistry.
Dr. Nash was aware of my pain and one day summoned Dr. Suh for help. Dr. Suh came to my rescue with his equipment in tow. And within a year of undergoing treatment, I found significant relief in an anatomical oral appliance that changed my life. The experience alone made me eager for more. I wanted every dentist I could reach to learn about the amazing and life-changing world of neuromuscular dentistry. If it helped me, imagine the hundreds or thousands of other people that could benefit from this type of treatment too.
I immersed myself into learning more about neuromuscular dentistry. I met many reputable educators, laboratory owners, and dentists. I also honed my skills as a dental office manager. Dr. Jeff Blank opened opportunities for me by allowing me the freedom to be an innovator in his practice. Using all the knowledge I had, my strong and undeniable work ethics, and with the support of the many people I had behind me, we added 1.2 million dollars in additional revenue to Dr. Bank’s practice within 18 months. Life kept looking up for me and I felt like I was flying high. But be life as it is, I’d soon encounter some curve balls that I wasn’t expecting, both professionally and in my personal life. While my career seemed to have reached new heights, my marriage was crumbling right before my eyes. Life felt hectic and I was always busy either working or learning, which was no different for me because I’d been that way since as far back as I could remember. I spent more than two and a half hours commuting to and from work every day, working 70-80 hours weekly, and spending time learning. With much heartache and consideration my 10-year marriage came to an end. My then husband and I decided to part ways. It was a mutual agreement, although that didn’t make the decision any easier.
I quickly found myself feeling alone, still living in Charlotte away from family and my closest friends. I’d spend late nights alone in my home, the first one I ever bought by myself as a single woman, diving even deeper into everything dental. At this point, I had come too far to give up now. I began drowning my sorrows in dentistry, whether it was chatting in dental forums, reading dental-related articles, dental photography, you name it. At the time, Dr. Nash introduced me to one of his colleagues across the country, dental laboratory owner Bob Clark. I started traveling to Gilroy, California, observing and learning from Bob, the man who crafted my anatomical oral appliance a few years back. I observed their processes and systems, the missing link to my dental education that helped bring everything full circle. Before long, I received a call from one of the top-rated dentists in Savannah, Georgia, Dr. Brad Durham. I accepted the job without hesitation, leased my home, and moved once again. He was, at times, difficult to work for but that was nothing new to me and, in all honesty, working for Dr. Durham was some of the most rewarding work I’ve done over the years. He has become one of the most successful dentists that I know. I quickly adapted my management style to his personality, polished my communication skills (without losing my Tennessee twang) and started teaching dental teams across the country that were struggling within their practice. This was my chance to ignite that spark inside each of them just like the one that had been lite in me years ago.
It may sound like my story is winding down, but this is only the beginning of something even greater. I’d come so far, learned so much, and dedicated myself wholeheartedly to dentistry but there was one commonality among everything I’d done – change. So, as you guessed it, change came about again in my life. After some time with Dr. Durham, I felt it was time for a change again and so I broke my lease, packed up everything I owned, left Savannah, and headed back home to Kingsport, Tennessee. Except this time, when I say home, I mean back home to my mom’s house. I was living in my mom’s basement (I couldn’t possibly thank her enough for her support during this time, by the way), and my brain got to work. I knew I wanted to continue my work in dentistry, but I needed and longed for something new. While I sat dreaming up ideas on my mom’s leather couch in her basement, the inception of Bryant Consultants came to fruition. I never thought I’d own my own business, but I felt that the time was right. I was enough. I was ready. I hoped on Legal Zoom and filed for an LLC. I was taking a huge leap of faith. I keep my end-goal in mind, although I wasn’t sure about all the details that would occur in between where I was and where I was going.
I started putting my business ideas on paper, developed a business plan, and was to secure clients. With nothing more than my ideas, everything I had learned throughout the years, an itch for success, and a small savings account, I did what I knew best, fostered relationships. I spent hours answering questions in forums helping others. Eventually I secured my first client, and I am proud to report that practice took my advice, became successful, and still is to this day. My business grew as I accumulated more clients, all of which came to me by word of mouth. It was within that first year of running my own business that my mom introduced me to a man she had met. She already knew he was the one for me and all my ups and downs and excited spirit didn’t run him off. When he learned that I was living on a coach in my mom’s basement, he didn’t even bat an eye! I immediately knew that this man would be my rock, always by my side, never wavering. Our dreams intertwined and we were unstoppable. He was more than ready for this adventure with me. He moved from Asheboro, North Carolina to Tennessee and we wed two months later. Together, we began working toward our goal to grow Bryant Consultants and we were about to accomplish more than I had ever imagined.
Within our first year of marriage, we started a family, and launched the marketing side of Bryant Consultants. It wasn’t long before we knew we needed help. My brother, who always had a knack for marketing, came to work for us to run our marketing division, which took off quickly. Then, it was time to expand our consulting side of the business, so we hired my sister. She was able to retire from corporate American to work with our business. Our family-owned business was strong. We work hard, learn a lot from each other, and enjoy helping other family-owned businesses grow and reach their dreams too. We’ve helped open doors for countless dental practices throughout the years. My personal focus is helping dental practices realize their dreams, and develop a path to get there, whether they need coaching, training, an additional partner, or practice, or are nearing retirement. I’m not only creative and a dreamer, but sometimes I even dream for my clients because many dentists and their team members have worked in the trenches for years, with their heads down, and have lost sight of the real reasons they started a career in dentistry. So, I get to help them see the light again, help them refocus and show them ways to achieve their dreams. I encourage my clients to go as far as they want in terms of reaching their goals. I will always have a heart for dental practice consulting, although I find much joy in writing and speaking to share my knowledge of dentistry.
Bryant Consultants is nearing 15 years of business, and I can proudly say that we remain a family-owned business to this day. My husband and I now have three beautiful and intelligent children. I’m able to bring my family with me when I travel to see clients, which has been an amazing experience for us. My husband is still my rock. Sometimes, I don’t know how he does it. He is like a super dad/husband/business owner. He is, in many ways, the complete opposite of me, which is why our marriage and business work so well. I have an excited spirit and I can spew out ideas so fast that it would overwhelm some people, but not my husband! He is my calm when I need it. He helps me organize ideas, adds to them (even if it’s 2:00 am), and together, we achieve success over and over again.
If there is one thing that I could share with anyone considering a career in dentistry or that may already be in the field, it’s that there are endless opportunities out there. Don’t lose hope when a door closes. Always be willing to learn something new, even if it is unrelated to your current career path. I hope to see more women entrepreneurs rise and resist the fear of failure. We need more female leaders in the dental industry. But don’t expect opportunities to fall in your lap and you can’t just sit around waiting for something big to happen before you change life’s course. Be a go-getter and willing to do what it takes to achieve your dreams. Had I not had the opportunity to learn the innerworkings of the front office early on in my career, I would never have gotten the opportunity to work alongside Dr. Nash, let alone a chance to manage a dental practice. Had it not been for my time spent with Dr. Nash and the connections I made working for him, I wouldn’t have been able to make it through the devastating effects of my car wreck that left me in so much pain. I started a career in dentistry as a sterilization technician making absolutely nothing while being on a waitlist for dental hygiene school. I remained humble and willing to learn as I earned a paid position, and eventually worked in every other area of a dental practice throughout my career. Through it all, I kept my goal in focus and trusted God. I knew that God had a plan for me and that amazing things would happen if I was willing.
Sometimes I find it hard to believe that I went from working for nothing with no dental experience to where I am now. Through it all, I’ve never forgotten where I came from, nor could I feel anything but extremely blessed to work with offices across the country. I found my joy working as a strong woman in dentistry. I always knew I was destined for something great, but I hadn’t yet realized what it was or how I would get there. Looking back, I prefer to think about all the positive things that happened. After all, that’s what makes me smile and feel good. But the truth is, I know that it wasn’t just the good things that got me to where I am. I had some trials, setbacks, and there was even a time where I felt like I was starting at ground zero again. I can’t do my story justice by ignoring the hardships I endured. You might be riding high right now, enjoying the fruits of your labor and success in life or you might be at your lowest point feeling lost and confused as to what you should do next. Whatever stage you’re in right now, it’s not forever. Life is full of ups and downs, just like a roller coaster. Without all those twists and turns, life wouldn’t be as exciting. You have control over your story, too. It’s how you react during those low points that make the highs even more fulfilling.
Hollie Bryant-Foust
CEO & Founder
