By Rachelle Rose, RDH
Have you ever felt like you wanted to do something, but you didn't know what steps to take to make it happen? Or maybe you thought the steps weren't even there for you to take. The desire to put your knowledge to work but not knowing how to make it work for you can be quite overwhelming and frustrating. Until recently, I had felt this way for quite a while.
In May, I attended the SCN, which stands for Speaking Consulting Network. It consists of a group of professional people who have become members of this organization to share knowledge and have a great time doing it.
The learning that took place was fun, and so were the people. I heard stories from some that made me cry and others that made me laugh. There were folks whom I connected with instantly and thought to myself, "This may be one of my next good friends." (I'm not sure if they felt the same way about me, but I suppose time will tell because I have their contact information now!)
During the event, I was astounded with answers to questions that I never thought to ask. These were the missing pieces of the puzzle that have frustrated me and held me back for some time. The entire experience gave me a new direction that "stoked my fire." The feelings of my first day at dental hygiene school returned — excitement, anticipation, and passion for my profession.
Everyone was supportive and willing to cheer on the others. (And I mean that literally since two members dressed up as cheerleaders and surprised everyone with a pep rally one evening after the meeting). At the end, I left with many new acquaintances and maybe a couple of friends.
Rachelle Rose, RDH, embarked on her dental hygiene career after being employed as a dental office administrator and dental assistant 17 years ago. Today she continues practicing clinical dental hygiene as well as speaking on a national level, serving as a consultant to the dental industry and writing for major dental magazines. Rachelle draws on her experiences from her dental management and dental hygiene roles to enhance the dimension of the periodontal department in dentistry. Rachelle Rose, RDH