Looking back, before I had the guts to start a myofunctional therapy business, I found having a good ole’ 9-5 job to be a gigantic PITA (and I don’t mean sandwich 😉).  Don’t get me wrong, I loved my dental hygiene patients, but the greedy, demeaning, soul-sucking dentists that I found myself working for made that job start to feel like I was being punished for a crime I didn’t commit!  Now, before you get your panties in a bundle, I’m not talking about all of the dentists out there, just the ones that I had the pleasure of meeting (-er, un-pleasure?)

When I decided to start a myofunctional therapy business and still work hygiene, I found the lack of concern by my boss very disheartening. I was living knee-deep in a world where sleep apnea needed to be screened for, snoring was more than just a nuisance, tongue-ties weren’t just a pain in the ass if you couldn’t lick an ice cream cone, and mouth breathing was incredibly unhealthy.  My boss wouldn’t listen to any of my concerns.

Very quickly, I realized I needed to ditch the prison sentence and break free for my own happiness and mental well-being.  I hated my job.  I began to hate my co-workers. And I began to have heart palpitations the closer I got to work.  It was time to peace out. ☮️

You might love your job.  If so, there are three possibilities.  #1, you haven’t yet seen the dark side of dentistry like I was experiencing as a myofunctional therapist.  #2, you really do.  #3, you are financially strapped and need that job to pay your bills..but given the choice, you’d chuck those two fingers ✌️, or perhaps another…”more specialer” finger if you get my drift, and you’d start a myofunctional therapy business too!

(On a personal note, I’ve had the top knuckle of my left middle finger amputated from melanoma.  My kids call it my “special finger”.  As you can imagine, when I pretend to flip someone off, they say that I’m pulling out all the stops with the special finger…)

Identifying why you hate your 9-5 is easy, but figuring out how to chuck the deuces and leave it…not so much.  Leaving is the challenging part.  But, if you know in your heart and soul that you need to leave your 9-5, then you should get started on your exit strategy today.

Here are 5 easy steps to getting started on starting your own myofunctional therapy business.

#1:  Start dreaming about starting a myofunctional therapy business and planning your pivot.

Figure out where your passion intersects with skill.  This helps you figure out what you’re going to do and why you’d be good at it. You have to have a plan, not just a pipedream.  So spend some time doing your homework. Dig deep. Understand your strengths and weaknesses.  Plant one foot, and pivot with the other…scanning, looking for opportunities that are slam dunks for you!

(Need more help planning that pivot?  I highly recommend Jenny Blakes book, Pivot.  I still have the notebook with all my pivot exercises.  Life. Changing.)

#2:  Stop excuses.

Not to be cliche, but where there’s a will there’s a way.  Will there be barriers? Yep.  Will there be challenges? Yep. Are you the only one experiencing this hard thing? Nope.

If you want to experience something you’ve never had, you have to do something you’ve never done.  Maybe that’s getting really honest with yourself.  Maybe that’s to stop blaming the kids for why you can’t follow your dreams right now (or the little league team, or the piano lessons, or the ex-husband). Maybe that’s to put that damn VISA card away and stop spending yourself into debt that will keep you from ever being able to leave.

Just stop it. Now.  Start with finding solutions.  Baby steps.  You won’t solve all the problems now, but if you just take the time to solve one, eensy, weensy problem today, tomorrow you’re going to feel more confident and be ready to solve another one!

#3:  What solutions are you going to provide when you start a myofunctional therapy business?

How are you going to help? What is the pain point you’re going to make better?  If you aren’t going to help someone or solve a problem, you won’t make a dime.  People pay for solutions.

#4:  Learn how to treat people while being authentically you.

In the world of entrepreneurship, it can be difficult to find a balance between being respectful, kind, and helpful, and being authentic, without being a doormat.  Brutal honesty, while often a good trait, can be a bit too brutal in some businesses.  People build connections with people they know, like, and trust.  So practice being kind and patient with everyone, even the ones you’d rather smack alongside the noggin!

#5:  Work towards the “transition” out of your job and into your own myofunctional therapy business.

This is where the workboots come in.  You have to create an action plan that has you working towards transitioning out of your 9-5 and into starting a myofunctional therapy business.  Maybe the logical step is to cut back 1 day of work.  That means less income.  How will you accomplish this?  Does your budget have room for this?  If not, how can you make room?  Part-time gig?  Cutting back on things that aren’t necessary?  I teach about this in the “Discovering Your Enough” lesson in Triumph.  Learn what is enough for you to get by on.  What is enough to allow you to keep the roof over your head but chase your biggest dreams?  It’s a great concept and one that really helps make the seemingly impossible transition out of your 9-5 possible.

There ya have it, my friend!  I’ve given you 5 tips to help you with starting a myofunctional therapy business. If you implement these tips right away, you will be chucking the deuces to your 9-5 job in no time! If my story resonates with you, and you only see misery ahead of you…it’s time to call your shot now.  You aren’t getting younger.  You won’t get these moments back.  Life is too short.

Earning a living as an entrepreneur has allowed me to live a life designed instead of a life decided.  The same possibilities are out there for you!

xo, 😘

About the Author, Carmen M. Woodland

Carmen is a powerhouse myofunctional educator, whose “secret sauce” is teaching women how to build their own, incredibly satisfying career in myofunctional therapy.  She is obsessed with all things myo, myofunctional therapy business, marketing, social media, content, data, revenue, goals, and helping you navigate the messy and magical journey to becoming an authority in the myofunctional therapy niche.

She teaches you the tried and true secrets to building a career you’re in charge of, and one that’s life-changing for both you and your clients.

Shy away from the hard stuff?  No way, Carmen gets down in the trenches with you, just like your favorite gal-pal there to cheer you on.  Her no-nonsense-tough-love-common-sense-solutions-oriented approach is the real reason that she gives you the kick in the pants you need.  Carmen is your one-stop shop to learn everything you need to know about delivering effective myofunctional therapy, and building a thriving, profitable myofunctional therapy business.

A dental hygienist who got tired of watching unhealthy people slip through the cracks.  She took her 15 years of dental hygiene experience, completed advanced post-graduate training in orofacial myofunctional therapy, earned a prestigious M.B.A. (Masters in Business Administration), grew a successful myofunctional therapy business, and now she works from home with clients around the world and runs an extremely popular myo coaching and business training program.

If you find your passion intersection at the corner of Myofunctional Therapy Avenue, Dental Hygiene Highway, Female Entrepreneur Boulevard, and Work From Anywhere Way…then get cozy here, because you’ve found your unicorn!  Carmen is here to educate, encourage, and empower you while she teaches you all the things!