Hey, Voices of the Bench community, Jessica Love here, giving me a shout out from Utah. As many of you know, I am passionate about creating natural-looking, beautiful smiles, and I also believe in simplifying systems without compromising on aesthetics. I am honored to be part of Ivoclar's development team to bring you a new stain and glaze system with structure paste. IPSEmax CeramArt. With this system, you can create beautiful works of art with depth and color in as little as one firing. Join us as we continue to innovate, simplify, and create meaningful change, one smile at a time.
So Barb, it's confession time.
Oh boy, Elvis, what did you do now?
I actually snuck down to the exhibition halls this year at Lab Day.
Oh my God, you did not.
Oh, yes I did. I went to visit our friends at Follow Me Technology.
The HyperDent crew.
The very same. And let me tell you, HyperDent was everywhere. Every other booth I walked up to, someone was talking about milling strategies, templates, workflows. It was like a cam takeover.
I love that guys, quietly taking over the world one tool path at a time.
Exactly. And their milling roadmap activity, huge success.
Really, Elvis, I guess. I'm really not surprised.
Yeah, a ton of people were doing the scavenger hunt, bouncing between Axis, Imagine, DOF, Roland, collecting their stamps like responsible adults.
Responsible adults chasing an amazing scooter.
Oh yeah, the scooter. That thing was a hit too. I actually saw it zooming around the show more than once. Almost got hit by it.
Yeah, yeah, I know. So did I. Lots of near misses, you know.
You know, it's funny to me. You got this group of very serious, very smart cam engineers talking in toolpath, validation protocols, microns, blah, blah, blah. And then they're ripping around lab day on a bright orange folding electric hyperdense scooter.
Yes, I know, but I really love that.
You know what? I do too. It's proof that you can be extremely technical and still not take yourself too seriously, which I think we know about.
Yes, of course. And honestly, what a fun group.
Agreed. Big shout out to the Follow Me team. They brought the brains and they brought the fun this year.
And apparently, the horsepower.
Electric horsepower. Nice. Welcome to Voices From the Bench, a dental laboratory podcast. Send us an e-mail at info@voicesfromthebench.com and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. greetings and welcome to episode 414 of voices from the bench my name is Elvis.
And my name's Barbara how's it going?
What's happening Bart this is our first time talking since Chicago I know to the listeners that was about two weeks ago but.
Oh yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah.
Let's just start at the top Calab you coming out to to Eminem. That was A, ****** and B, you killed it, Barb. You did a really good job.
Thank you. Yeah, that was super spontaneous, you know. Be in the moment, you own it, you better never let it go, mother, you know whatters. So yeah, it was sort of kind of my motto. And so I was like, that's a perfect song to walk into. So it was very spontaneous, though.
Yeah, with your pass, I would have thunk. Taylor Swift or Kid Rock, but you mixed it up. I love it.
I still went with the Detroit baby.
And honestly, I mean, you did not seem nervous. You were just spot on. The highlight for me is when you were calling out all the new people of Cal Lab and you said, please stand up if you're here. And then you said, I love this. And if you're not here, don't stand up. It was so funny.
Oh, thank you.
Was that Renton? Did you go into that planned? Oh, I loved it.
Hell no. Oh, that's great.
I loved it.
Well, with you being in the audience and you got a chuckle, I'm proud of myself because you're a hard one.
Oh, jeez.
I'm just super glad that I get to chill and thank you for the compliment and thank you for everybody that came and just supported me and supported Lab Day and everything we did. It was awesome.
Yeah, I mean, really. I mean, just the lineup of speakers was good. I can only imagine how you felt. Friday afternoon when you were done.
No, I wasn't because I was over with you. We were doing Voices from the Bench.
Yeah, and I'd like to say we got you off a stage, but honestly, Ivor Klar put us right back on a stage.
That was beautiful and amazing.
Wasn't that great? Oh my God. Yeah. For those that didn't get a chance to stop by or didn't see us on social media, Ivor Klar had three stages set up. a main stage and then two stages off to the side so they could have.
I think we were the main stage.
Yes, they put our table and chairs on the main stage and blew our logo. I had to have been about 20 feet tall. I don't know, but it was huge behind us and it was great. So thank you so much, Ivaklar.
Thank you.
Sincerely. Yeah, allowing us to record. We had a ton of great conversations. A lot of people came up and just said, hey, We like what you're doing. We love what you're doing. Keep doing it.
I always love that part. It's like you never realize how many people we reach until they come to us on a lab day and just want to shake our hands and say thank you. And it's just so gratifying and emotional. Yeah, it's pretty awesome.
I loved it. I mean, thank you to everyone that stopped by. Thank you to everyone that sat down and recorded. And again, we can't thank you enough, Ivaklar, for another year of great recording. Thank you so much.
We got some conversations that were amazing, and I can't wait to release them, and let's do it.
Yeah, it's going to be sooner than later, because.
I know how much you love to have them in the vault, but we're not. So you've got DLAT coming, so you'll be all right.
Yep, after this, it's Texas, so stay tuned, everybody. But this week, we actually get to talk to a very passionate removable technician that is looking for a new way to own a lab. Richard Rosa Sr. didn't grow up around teeth, but he was an artist and luckily his mom was quite the entrepreneur. So of course he gets a degree in computers. What?
Of course.
Richard, who was working at a granite and tile company, when he and his mom decided to open up a salsa dancing studio.
That's so amazing. I can salsa like a **** just saying.
All right, everyone, next time there's an event.
Yeah, I know, it's not about me. It's not about me. Sorry, Richard.
There in that studio is where he met his wife, and it was a simple newspaper ad that led him to a dental lab. Falling in love with all things removable, Richard was soon the department head, but he wanted more. So he went to a place that saw a ton of full arch implant patients. That gave him the idea to take his skills on the road, well in a van actually, and go to the offices to give their patients the care they deserve. So join us as we chat with Richard Rosa. Hey, listeners. Have you ever wondered what the hell I'm doing when I'm not recording voices from the bench? Believe it or not, I actually have a regular job. I'm a client rep for Derby Dental Laboratory. So I'm in the field all day, all the time. I'm either doing chair sides or I'm building relationships. and rarely am I in front of a computer. Well, now here's a fun fact for y'all. Dental labs grow by keeping their customers and doing more business with them. Now that's my job, keeping those doctors f***ing happy and keeping them coming back for more work. It would be virtually impossible to do that without iCortica. So how do you get visibility with your accounts? Are you exporting data vomit in the form of a spreadsheet that only gives you a small piece of the puzzle? In fact, using Excel makes me angry, and you don't want to make me angry. Icortica gives me everything I need. At home or right on my phone, even when I'm sitting in my car. I can see sales, remake rates, notes for my LMS, and it even tells me exactly what my risks and cross-sell opportunities are. I could even see if a doc just called to complain before I walk in the door. Because honestly, that is a door I might choose not to walk in. The key is I'm always prepared and never surprised. I honestly wouldn't be able to do or enjoy my job without it. So head over to icortica.com to schedule time with them today to learn more. Hi Cortica, stop digging for data and start taking action to keep more customers and more revenue. That's I-C-O-R-T-I-C-A.com. Love you, Rob. Hey, Voices from the Bench listeners, Elvis here. Ready to supercharge your digital dentistry skills? Then mark your calendar for Exocad Insights, taking place April 30th to May 1st, 2026, on the stunning island of Mallorca, Spain. We know it's stunning because Barb and I were at the last Insights, and it was amazing! Whether you're just starting your digital journey or looking to take your Exocad skills to the next level, Exocad Insights has it all. Now get this, we got keynotes from Global Pioneers, in-depth software lectures, hands-on demos, product showcases from top industry partners, and of course, voices from the bench. We're going to be there doing some on-site interviews. Plus, they're adding some more fun stuff to do too. They can count Barb and me in on the first Insights 5K morning run along the coast. That's right, a running race in another country. country, on the coast, on a nice island. A minute to win it. And we're not going to miss the legendary Exo Glam Night, which is sure to be the most epic party of the year. Tickets are going fast, so head over to exocad.com forward slash insights dash 2026 to grab yours today. You can also find that link on this episode show notes. And here for a special treat just for our listeners, 15% off. That's 15% off with the code VFTBPALMA15. That's V-F-T-B-P-A-L-M-A15. And we will see you in Spain. Voices from the bench. The interview. Barb and I are really excited today because I finally get to talk to someone that on Instagram has been sharing some pretty cool videos.
Sexy stuff.
Apparently Barb thinks he's sexy and he is, and I love this, removable proud.
That's right, baby.
Yes, indeed.
Richard Rowe says, how are you, sir?
Thank you so much. Thank you, Barb. I appreciate that. Yep. Hi, it is an absolute pleasure. Like I said, you guys are awesome. And hey, kudos to you seriously. A lot of us know you vocally and obviously audio, but never have had an opportunity to tell you kudos. You guys are doing a great job at connecting the dental world. It's really cool.
Yeah, we appreciate it. We have a lot of fun.
We like each other still, and we like everyone, actually.
I mean, she's never called me sexy, but that's okay. Thank you, sir. So seriously, I didn't realize you 2 knew each other. How do you know each other?
I don't know Barbara.
Oh my God.
He was being funny, bro. How do you miss that on a Friday? Have you had a long week?
I've had a very long week, but I love the fact that we're so tight in this industry. Y'all can act like you've known each other for years and not know each other.
That's what you guys are doing. Yeah, it's crazy. It's Friday the 13th, Elvis. It is indeed. We're going to turn that baby around.
Let's do it. Yeah, we're going to turn it into Saturday the 13th.
Just so you guys know, I left the bench to come to the conference room so I could talk to Richard, and I'm so excited because I'm tired of teeth.
Yeah.
Just saying.
I get it. It's Friday. We're all tired of teeth.
Thank you.
So where are you guys located? Really quick.
Yeah.
He's in BFE.
I'm in Indianapolis. It's not BFE, but according to people in Florida.
It's a running joke.
Yes, Florida. Where in Florida, Barbara?
Clearwater. Clearwater. Tampa, north-south, east, west of Tampa, 20 minutes.
Wow, I'm there often. My father lives there. Okay, that's all I need to know. Really.
Nice.
Yes.
And if you want to know about the weather, tune in on Monday. Just kidding. Richard, tell us the story, man. I mean, you don't just show up on Facebook and call yourself the denture guy.
Yeah.
How do you get there?
Well, I'll tell you what, how far do you wanna go back? That's a good question.
All the way. Oh, I think as far as you can. Really? Yes, absolutely.
Okay, okay, well, here we go. Just buckle up.
Yeah, I love this.
'Cause it's a great one. Well, I was born and raised in a small city, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. And you guys might know it as Amish country.
Yeah.
Oh, really? Yes. Wait, stop right there. You grew up in Amish country.
I did not. Oh. That would have took a turn and we would have had a whole different conversation. We would have had a whole different.
Conversation because I would want to know all about the fudge.
Yes, and you have to come and visit. Okay. You have to come and visit.
How do you make butter?
Good, do you? Oh my goodness. Only Barbara. Well, I'll tell you what. Yeah, so, and it's funny 'cause I actually, over the years, I became pretty proud of the area. I honestly did not see my first Amish person until I was 19 years old.
Really.
I mean, I've been fascinated with the Amish. I know. I'm not being disrespectful. I'm completely serious.
Yeah.
But you lived there that long and at 19, you never saw one? Like, why did you not go find them?
I just didn't know I was, there's a Lancaster city, there's a small city area, and then there's the county, there's the outskirts.
Okay.
So, single mother, just my sister, my mom, and I moved around A lot. So 9 different schools in 12 years?
Well, that's a lot. Wow. That's intense.
Yeah.
All in that same state.
All in, well, no, I actually in Tampa. I went to high school in Tampa for a year.
Oh, there you go. Nice.
Yeah, So, like I said, it was a lot. So, Barbara, there's your answer.
Thank you for that.
Yeah.
He wasn't anywhere long enough to see an Amish person.
I was not. I was on a bus in the city and he was sitting right beside me and I was like, whoa. It's not Halloween yet. But yeah, so. Fascinating. So that was it. And then, you know, so going through school, of course, we had to move around a lot. I was always into art. I kind of found that passion and niche when I was in middle school. And then, so going to high school, I just, I always drew. And believe it or not, my concentration was ink. So I would, I would just no pencil, no, ink over pencil. I would draw with ink. And I was really good.
What type of art?
Like fine art.
Oh, really?
Wow. Yeah. So it was a, again, a patch. It still is a patch of mine. I'm going to miss it, but right now I do it with teeth. But there was a, I wind up doing a portfolio exam for the high school. I was in APR classes and out of five, they scored it like 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 2.5. I scored a 4.5 out of five. And there were only two students in high school that scored a 4.5. And I got scholarship to Tyler in Philadelphia, Tyler Art School in Philadelphia.
So wait, so was that when you were a senior? I was a senior. When you were in high school and you took that test and they realized that you were gifted and so you got a scholarship.
Yes. That's pretty fun. All right. About 75%.
You know what? I'm glad to hear that art can get you a good scholarship and it's not sports, you know.
Oh, wait, till the next. Wait till the next part of the story. Okay. So yeah, it was great. And I wanted to, I wasn't a great student. I was probably maybe a C, B minus student.
Yeah.
Not much guidance in high school. But so what I did was, I was afraid to be a starving artist. So guys, this was in 1997.
Okay, yeah.
Okay. So I was scared. I just didn't know what I was going to do with art. You know, social media wasn't around and, you know, the digital. world was not here yet. So I went to my counselor and I turned down the scholarship.
What? I did.
I did. And hindsight, looking back at it, it's all God's plan. So pay attention.
Okay, got you. Yep.
I am actually.
So she's like, well, what do you want to do, Richard? And I was like, well, my next best thing is computers. I was great with software and hardware. So I got a small degree in computer programming.
97. So what are we even at XP at that point or Windows 95?
That well, that's great. You're going to have to Google that. I believe it was 95. I think it was 95. You're right.
Yeah.
You're right. Yeah, I know. So I did great with computer programming. I think I'm at 4.0, I believe I finished my, it was a small degree. I think it was just an associate's. But after that, the next eight years of my life was extremely pivotal, I would say. My son was born when I was 19. So in 1999, my son was born, couldn't find a lot of work in the programming field. Lancaster's a small city, of course. So boy, I went on dozens and dozens of interviews, like most. And Richard, you need more experience. I'm like, how am I gonna get more experience without getting hired? Yeah, yeah.
Without getting experience for crying out loud.
Exactly. So that was that journey. And then I I landed a local networking gig at a granite and tile company, okay? And yes, an actual granite and tile company.
Hold on, was that 'cause you're art?
No, that was my computers.
So was that, oh, I gotcha, okay.
Yes, so it was like a local networking, kind of inside the office, and I was doing help desk.
Making sure the printer worked.
Yes, restarting it. Restarting it, I was.
Chaining ink.
Yeah. So it wasn't, you look back at it and it's like, okay, this is not what I'm supposed to do, of course. But I will tell you what, I learned so much at that place.
Oh, I bet.
They kind of threw me in the ocean. I think they gave me a granite management position where I was managing a team of nine guys who were all older than me, you know, construction.
Oh, God, that's when they're done that. That's tough when they're older.
Yeah. Yes. And there's just a construction atmosphere. So they were rugged. You know what I mean?
Kind of men I like. Just saying.
Barb.
Yeah, Barb. Sorry, guys. Sorry, guys.
We're not using this as your own personal. Yeah, come on.
Good job, Barb. But it changes you pretty fast.
You grew up real fast when you were thrown in management as young.
I'll say.
I was very young and yeah, I did. I did. But thing is, I always had like an entrepreneur bug in me. My mother growing up, she worked two, three jobs all the time. And she did things. She made candles and made jewelry and wreaths during Christmas just to kind of, you know, keep food on the table.
Sure. Yeah.
I love that. Now you're speaking to my emotional side.
Yeah, I'm touching. touching the bug. So watching that growing up, I knew that even though I didn't know what I wanted to do, I knew I had to do. I knew I had to do. So I always had this entrepreneur bug in me and I was working, but I'm like, all right, I'm gonna grab some remnant pieces of granite in the back and I'm gonna start engraving them.
Wow.
And so I did, I would come to 4 by 6 and just start to engrave with sports logos. I always play sports. Sports was my identity. And, Philadelphia Eagles, Chicago Bears. I'm A diehard Chicago Bear fan, by the way.
Okay, I'm with you.
Yeah, So, That's a whole other conversation as well. But yeah, so I would.
I was going to say Jason Kelsey. I do have to say that. I'm sorry, but I do love him.
Yeah, I love him too.
Is that a sports guy?
Yes, he is.
Yes, it's Taylor Swift's brother-in-law, Elvis. Come on.
Oh, that guy.
Come on, Elvis.
Work with him.
Sorry, Elvis is not a Colts fan either. So we're going to put that out there, guys.
I love the fact that you mentioned a sports person. Instead of telling me what team he's on, you said it's Taylor Swift's brother. Yeah, well. Not a position. Nothing about the guy himself.
Well, he was centered and his wife, Kylie, and she had a podcast too, but yes.
Of course. All right.
Richard, I'm sorry, we're going way off the rails here. Work with me, work with.
Me. All right, moving on.
Okay, so yeah, so I start engraving the grounded pieces and then I'm like, all right, what can I do with these grounded pieces with the sports logos? They were coming up great. I glued a pen like to the corner of it, and I started making these office like accessories.
Oh, there you go, yeah.
Like a pen holder. And back then I'm like, all right, I can do something with this. And everyone like loved it. They're like, dude, you gotta make me one. You gotta make me one. So I started building a website to just kind of go that route. At that time. my mother, who I didn't mention, so she's from Brooklyn, New York. And she's a huge salsa dancer.
Salsa dancer, okay.
Another one of my faves.
Yes.
You're hitting all the buttons today.
She's a huge, well, if you look at my first episode on the YouTube channel, you'll love it. It's called From Salsa Dancer to Dental Technician. Oh, I love that. Yeah, so you can peek at that then. But yeah, she's a salsa dancer. And at that time, she pitched to me. She's like, Richard, we should open up a dance studio here in Lancaster.
I imagine there is none salsa dancing in Lancaster.
Well, in Lancaster City, yeah, there were kind of dance venues. They had like, you know, ballroom dancing, all kinds of other things. And, you know, hip hop dance, they had a thing for that. But nothing, nothing like a salsa dance studio.
That's cool.
And she used to go to a dance studio in Orlando, Florida, where she was caretaking for her father. And that's what kind of brought this idea to her. She said, my goodness, it would be phenomenal if this was in Lancaster. And I was like, mom, I can't. I'm working a full-time job. Now I'm doing the engraving now. It's just not a good idea. So I kept saying no. I kept saying no. And finally she said, Richard, I found a spot. I said, I thought I told you no. Yeah. Aw. That's so cool. Yeah, so she found a spot on a small street here in Lancaster on Pine Street. And she goes, Can you come just look at it with me? And she needed me. She needed me to be her partner in the studio for the business aspect of it, and she wanted to teach me how to be an instructor.
Were you dancing at this point? Do you salsa at this point, or not at all?
At this point, I did not. Now guys, listen, I'm Puerto Rican, so it's in my blood.
So we know damn straight well, you're gonna.
Yeah, so yeah, I knew the basics. You know, you knew basics just to kind of get through a wedding. Yeah, But nothing more than that. So what happened was during that time, I was a big, I was a knucklehead. We would go out to nightclubs all the time, you know, fishing for females. And we would go down to Florida a lot. My father lived in Florida. I had family in Orlando, West Palm Beach, everywhere. and we landed in South Beach.
Good call, man. You're not eating me now.
Yes.
That's no joke.
We landed in South Beach, dressed to the T. We went to this kind of neighborhood, it's the main street where all the nightclubs were, and there was a line to this nightclub that literally covered entire South Beach block. Wow. And we're like, Okay, you gotta be somebody to get in here. There's no way you can just get in line. So we dumped in line, and as we got closer, you heard salsa music. Oh. And there's salsa and there's merengue. And then like these girls dancing around the bouncers, like as you're about to go in. And we're like, okay. So I was a little intimidated. I'm like, oh my goodness. My mom has tried to teach me this dance my entire life. And it's the hottest nightclub in Miami. And I don't even know how to dance it.
That's the point at which you get your together.
Yes, yes.
Sorry guys for testing, but like-.
Well, I walk in. And what I realized with this dance, this salsa dance, is you could be tall, heavy, skinny, short, a lot of hair, no hair. It doesn't matter. As long as- You can move your hips. As long as a man can lead the woman.
Yep.
You were gonna dance all night. And I spotted that right away. And it's funny to know, these women were grabbing me left and right. Let's dance, let's dance. And I was a wallflower till four in the morning. And I called my mom at five in the morning. I said, mom, you have to teach me this dance. You have to teach me this dance. And that was my motivation. I said, I'm gonna come back here and I'm gonna rip the floor up.
Hey, if your mother is anything like me, she's just like, what took you so long?
Yeah, she started laughing and she was so proud. So I got back to Lancashire and we just got it in. We danced and danced and danced for a few months and then we finally opened up the dance studio in Lancashire. And it was a beautiful thing. It was, it was great for the time being. Again, at that time, I didn't really have much guidance and accountability, you know, so I told myself, all right, I'm not going to mix business with pleasure. That didn't happen.
What do you mean by saying that?
Students that would come into the dance studio, I was like, Hands off. And again, that didn't happen.
Yeah.
So this young lady called She calls the studio for a private lesson. She meets us at the studio and I get in there with my mother. And when I tell you, Elvis, you can probably relate to me that this was just like a bright aha God moment when he like dropped someone on your lap. And I was like, she's probably the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.
Aw. I can relate to that.
You can.
Sweet. Elvis, I'm sorry. That's my sweet.
No, you're fine.
Oh, that's so cool. That was like the one.
I can understand. I don't know about relay, but I can understand.
Well, when I tell you that, like, after, it's funny because like no one else in that studio mattered after that.
Yeah.
But my whole goal was to get this woman in bed. And I'm being blunt with you.
Okay, yeah.
I'm being transparent. That was my point.
You can salsa her way all the way to the bed sheet, huh.
Okay, she gave me no time a day.
Probably 'cause you're coming off a little strong.
There, buddy.
That's exactly why you ended up. 100%, 100%. No eye contact, Barbara.
Nope.
Like nothing, and she kind of read right through me.
And in her heart, she was like, Oh my God, he's so hot.
Yes.
I can't even do, I can't even just, yeah.
But then, so what happened was, all the fence I got up in front of me, I just started treating her like a normal student. She was a normal human being, and I stopped treating her like a piece of meat. And at that time, I always had a big heart. My mother had a big heart growing up, so I always care for people. If someone needed something, I was right there. A gentleman came in, and I was just encouraging him with, I think he was going through a divorce, and she's seen that. She's seen me with my arm around him, kind of talking to him, and it tugged at her heart. And so long story short, we started talking. Actually, the whole story, the entire, entire story is on that first episode I told you guys, but it's pretty long. But she wound up telling me that she was a Christian woman, and the next person that she dates, that she's gonna court them. And I'm like, why would you take him to court? Like, you don't even have kids with a guy. I'm telling you, I was clueless.
Jump right to the end then.
It's so manic. I think he listens to this because I'm a pile of mush over here.
I was clueless. I really was. And then so, but I was so intrigued. I ran out the next day and I bought a book on courtship. Damn.
Wow. She was a ******. Tell me something positive. You guys stole together.
We recorded for about a year, year and a half, and that's my wife now of 18 years.
Oh, I love her. What's her name?
It is Maria.
Hi, Maria. Your husband loves you. That's a pretty sweet story, just saying. We don't usually get to love on our podcast, and it's almost Valentine's Day, so I'm a little bit more a little, you know, nice.
Yeah, that's the reason why I threw that in there. It is on Sunday tomorrow. But she is actually the reason how I stepped into a dental laboratory, and that's why I had to tell you that.
Cool.
So as the studio went, I couldn't stay at the studio. There was no way. There was too much stuff there. history that I couldn't, I just couldn't stay connected to it. So we did keep teaching. My mother and I, we were teaching at, for weddings and schools. She did a lot of high school and middle school stuff. So we kept teaching, but we just had to, I had to close down the studio. Yep. And at this point, I'm like, I don't know what to do. I'm like frustrated because now I know I have to take care of a family coming up soon. I had a kid. She had a son as well. And I was, you know, this is back then when you grab the paper and you highlight, you know, all the. Yeah, We're telling our age guys.
Yeah.
So I was frustrated. I kind of crumbed up the paper. I tossed it. And she's like, you know, babe, what's wrong? I said, there's nothing there. I said, I don't know what to do. So she goes, you mind if I look at it? So she un-crumpled the paper. and she opened it up and it was a small like 2 line ad that said, are you an artist?
Oh.
And I'm like, whoa, okay, I didn't see that. I didn't see that ad.
Oh, I thought you answered it and she was uncrumbling it and asking you what's up?
Yeah, yes, no, that's what the ad said, actually said, are you an artist? And so I called the number on the ad and the woman on the other line just said, sure, just bring your portfolio if you have a portfolio and I'll see you here. So I walked into a dental laboratory just with my portfolio and probably a bit more hunger than most of them.
Did they tell you it was a dental lab you were coming or did they just show up at this address with your heart?
Not at all.
Interesting.
Got it. Not at all. So yeah, there's a few things that they have. There's a full-service laboratory, a fairly large one in this area. I think we had 30 some plus technicians. I walk in and it was the setting was obviously just smelled like rubbing alcohol and stone.
Yeah.
And just like anybody else, I'm sure I'm like, what is this? Like, what do you guys do? And she goes, well, Richard, this is a dental laboratory. I said, yeah, I thought this stuff happened at the dental practice. No, and then she explained to me, she's walking around and I'm... I'm like, wow, wow. So, so intrigued. So I got hired right on. I think it was a blessing in disguise. I was underneath a dentist on staff. There was a dentist on staff that was hired there for education.
Oh, really? That's interesting.
Yeah, it was really neat. And the funny thing is like, he started, I think about a few months before I started and I was his first almost guinea pig.
Oh, so they brought in a dentist to teach dental technology?
Yes.
Yeah, usually they're not the greatest at it, but...
No, 100%. I'm glad you touched that, Elvis. This guy was.
Really? Was he a prosthodontist or something?
He was not a prosthodontist. He actually, you know PTC.
Oh, sure, yeah, we do.
Oh, yeah, yes.
So he was a huge advocate for PTC. The next four years for me were the most intense four years of think of my career. It was almost like I was getting paid to go to college again.
Wow.
So he would run me through these just vigorous, vigorous make 100 byte rims in one day and then 200 custom trays in one day. And then...
200.
It was bananas and I'm like, what am I doing? And what I didn't realize is it was becoming second nature to me. These are all PTC courses and then we wound up going to California and I was then we got... certified, I believe, for in the removal department and teaching it as well. We taught it. We taught in the evening there. So I did teach removables in the evenings at that development.
You got certified from PTC to teach it.
Yes.
Oh, I didn't realize they did that.
Yeah, okay.
That makes sense, yeah. We actually taught the PTC program and the curriculums after that.
To your own employees or to any technicians that wanted to sign up.
Any technicians that wanted to sign up?
Oh, how come we don't do this anymore in our industry?
Yeah, exactly. So that, because those times have changed though. Yeah, those times have changed. Right now there's courses and stuff that, actually I'm creating a curriculum, but we won't go there right now. No, I want to go there, but we'll wait.
We'll wait.
Yes, we'll wait, exactly. So yeah, the next four years were awesome. I caught on. Fairly, fairly quick. And I was just at the inception of the digital world for me. So, you know, the whole touch Nobel touch scanners, the Circon, 3Shape was around. It was fairly new. Still a ton of bugs. Anytime that I was asked to do something, I would say yes. I would say yes. I became a yes technician. Of course, yeah. It was just, can you stay later? Yes, Rich, you know, can you go to training over here in Virginia, yes, I can go. So any new product that was in, I was the one that was being assigned to do it. And little by little, I just kind of worked ahead of everybody else, you know? I moved ahead of everybody else. But the game changer, the game changer for me is when doctors started calling the lab, requesting me to go chairside. Oh. And that was a really cool story. This is fun. So there's a huge dentist here in this area. I won't mention his name, but he's definitely the largest dentist in this area. He was the largest accountant for that laboratory, which was a full service laboratory. And he would send cases in, of course, and with his return dates that were obviously not doable.
Oh, yeah.
And I would absolutely, because, you know, at that time, at that time, I was already offered the removals management position. So I was running the removals department with four technicians, all the QCing. It was a pretty intense, again, four years that I mentioned. So this doctor sent cases in and I would call that office and say, hey guys, listen, I'm so sorry, but there's no way we can make these production dates. I have to tell you. And the lady's like, Richard, I know, but you know, Dr. is not going to like that.
Oh, oh, yeah.
And I said, so.
Just saying.
Okay, you guys can edit that out. I'll believe that.
Yeah.
Yes, he got the message and he called back and he goes, who was that guy that said that I can't get the dates at that time? And they said, well, it was Richard. He's a production manager in the removals department. And he says, sent all the cases back.
I don't care what.
I don't care where they're at right now. I don't care what stage you're in. I need all the cases back. I'm done with you guys.
Wow. Holy moly.
He laid it down.
So this is who he was. And he was intense. And I didn't know this at the time, but you know, obviously I called in the office with the owner. The owner and I were really, really good friends. But he said, Rich, what are you doing? Like, Yeah, it's all your fault, right? Yeah, exactly. It's all my fault. Like, you just lost our largest account. And I'm like, I was like, guys, listen, You got to trust me. If you put me in his position, like you got to trust me. There's no way he is not going to go anywhere else and get any better.
Yeah.
Exactly. And get the quality of work that we do in the timely manner that we give it to him. So, okay, Rich. Okay, that's fine. As I guarantee you'll be back. I guarantee you there's no way. There's no way. So a week went by, two weeks went by, three weeks went by. About a month and a half went by. Now, I'm like, man, did I put my foot in my mouth?
We all do.
Yes. And so a case came in and I look at the case pan and it was from him. And I was like, well, would you look at that? And at the spot where it says return date, it says as soon as you can.
As soon as you can.
So little by little, one by one, one by one, he starts sending all his cases back to us. And it's funny because from that point on, him and I became like really good friends.
I was going to say, what did you learn from that experience?
He found out who I was. He was one of the doctors that would call me chair side to work on difficult cases, difficult removable cases. And he learned that I was the guy who did that, who said that. And it was.
That you were no joke.
Yes. And it was a respect thing. And we became really close and just, you know, Fast forward years, years later, he's my largest account right now as we speak.
Still, wow, that's great.
Still, okay.
So he was a little ***** at first, but then he realized that you might have had some, you know, genuine, what's the word I want?
I don't know, but you gotta, you gotta take him down to his level.
That's what it is.
He was actually at fault.
He wasn't accustomed to that. He wasn't accustomed to people kind of doing that.
So yeah, most labs will be like, we'll do our best. And then they'll give you work. Get it out real fast. And then you've it's I mean, it's no good for anyone. Yep.
I was never one. I tell you, I got I could never keep my mouth shut. And maybe that's from my Brooklyn mother. But there was an issue or something that need to be said or done. I said it.
Yeah.
And it didn't go. It didn't go unheard. I didn't wait, I just said it. Again, the chairside mind shift for me was huge. Seeing the patient face to face rather than a case pan and models.
Oh yeah.
So that started something in me that I didn't realize, I didn't know what it was. And then after working there at the laboratory, I'm like, my entrepreneur bug starts kicking in again.
It's emotional as well. Yes. 'Cause you actually put a person to the teeth and to everything about it. Like you connect those dots and it's life-changing, seriously.
There's that benefit to it, Barbara. There's also, I mean, there's a huge, business benefit too, which I'm going to get into. And it's night and day, you know, and I learned this because as I'm thinking, all right, how do I do these things differently as a lab owner? Like, how would I have a laboratory and just be different than this lab? Because honestly, what I realized from all the traveling that I did from training, whatnot, it seemed like everyone had this want to control the market bug. and wanted to be the best at everything and be almost like a yes lab where you tell doctors yes to everything, even if you're not capable of doing it.
Oh, sure.
Yeah. Even if you weren't trained to do it or you didn't have the time to do it, you said yes, because you don't want to lose that account.
I think a lot of us did.
And it constantly put us in a rush state. It constantly had so much chair time and mistakes that were done. That would happen. And I'm like, I don't wanna do that. If I had a lab, how would this even work? And right around that time, guys, believe it or not, whether you're God-fearing or believing God or not, there was a woman that used to work there with us and she was a huge prayer. She always prayed and she would leave this lab and go, okay guys, have a blessed day. I'm gonna pray for you. And I'm like, okay, thank you for prayer. Please pray for me 'cause I need it. And she came in one morning and she said, Richard, can I tell you something? She says in private. And I said, Yeah, yeah, absolutely. And she pulls me aside in this hallway and she says, I was praying this morning and your face came up into my prayer. And I said, Okay. So at this point I'm kind of getting goosebumps. And I said...
You should be getting goosebumps because that's God calling you.
And I said, Okay, what happened? And she says, I was specifically led to tell you something and I was supposed to tell you that you have a plan and you've been having a plan and you're not supposed to fear from that 'Cause he wants to bless you beyond your wildest dreams. And at that moment, I'm telling you guys, every fear that I had in intimidation left my body. Like it was gone. And I knew it.
Wow.
I knew what I was gonna do. And I had a-.
Connect this person to you again real quick.
So she was actually one that I hired in the removal department, okay? And she worked at a mission. It's almost like where we did pro bono work for in the city. Yep. And she worked there and she wanted to learn removables so, so bad. She was in orthodontics.
So you guys were tight a little bit.
We were tight.
All right.
And she called and said, and she actually wanted to come on Fridays to work every Friday for a few hours so I can train her in the removals department. And that was it. And to be honest with you, we didn't even pay her. So then after that, it was almost like Lego pieces. without even me putting the Lego pieces together. I got a call from, and maybe you want to edit this, I'm not sure, but I got a call from Clear Choice Implant Center in Harrisburg. All right, which was...
Yeah, you're kind of close. I mean, you're in a radius on that Upper East Coast.
Yes, 30 minutes from Harrisburg where we were. And they found me on LinkedIn and they were like, hey, Rich, do you manage a removal department? I said, I do. You do all-in-fours? I do. I was working. I did a lot of all-in-fours with the surgical practice here in Lancaster.
Yeah.
And they said, we need, we need so bad a lab manager for the new Harrisburg practice. And it was a little odd for me because one, I was not a fan of corporate dentistry.
Yeah.
Like, you know, you understand.
Sure.
I understand.
Yes, 100%. So when I heard that, I heard corporated mobile, all I thought of is the big A word. So yes, I got a call from, you know, CC. And then they gave me a number of what they would pay me. And I said, whew, whoa.
Hard to say now.
Is that who in a good way or who in a bad way?
Oh, it was in a good way. And it was by far more than what I was told the kind of I was worth.
Yeah.
Wow. So as a private laboratory, of course, there are so many protocols and prerequisites that you need to get to a certain salary. So I had a number in my head of what I was worth and I thought I was at the peak. They doubled it, almost tripled.
Wow. So you went to work for Clear Choice.
So I learned about it, 'cause I didn't know anything about clear truth. Like I didn't, I knew nothing. And so I did some research, I said, Let me get back to you. And I said, Okay, if they're really serious, if this is not too good to be true, one of those stories, let me negotiate the salary. So I asked them for more. I said-- Thank you.
You should ask them for more.
I did, and what happened was, I knew if I left this laboratory I was at, it was gonna be a big piece missing. And I knew it. And I almost can guarantee that like 7 or 8 accounts would have left when I left.
Yeah.
And I knew, so I took that amount that those accounts were worth and I added that to the salary. And I told them, look, listen, I can open up a lab right now. And that was, honestly, that was my goal. So you need to match this or I can't do it. and they couldn't match exactly but they did give me more Wow that's cool exactly good it is so that was the plan and I and I was like you know what I'm never gonna get this type of chair side experience anywhere where I'm doing four arches a day.
It's amazing we've talked to a few people that did it and they learn a lot.
And I'm telling you I am telling you and it was you know obviously there's so many mythologies on all on fours and whether you're you're You're taking away a lot of bone or you're not, or how much abloplasty you're doing, FP3s and FP1s. So obviously clear choice, they're an FP3 practice.
Yeah.
But I took the job. I took it, and honestly, it was the best thing I ever did without knowing. I learned probably more there getting ready for my business than I did the 14 years I was at the other lab.
Sure, yeah.
Aw, that's great.
Yeah.
And you're doing how many arches a day, you think?
Oh boy, between four and six.
That's insane. How many doctors were doing them?
So there were two prosthodontists on staff, we had two surgeons, huge teams, 6 operatories, and... Here's the thing, though. People don't understand. They're marketing gurus.
Yeah.
Oh, yeah, They're marketing gurus. They take everyone for a tour. Every person that walks in that door, they walk them around to state-of-the-art practice. And then there's a huge window. I call it the zoo window, like we're monkeys in the lab, right?
I say that as well.
Don't tap on the glass.
Like feed the monkeys. And I don't mean it disrespectful to us, but sometimes we kind of feel that way.
I believe me, I even had bananas in there and everything. It was pretty. So they would walk past the lab and a huge selling point for their patients were, we have an on-site laboratory and the work gets done right here. And they're watching us, so it was a spectacle, they're watching us do the work. And it was just, it was huge. It was huge for them, it was huge for the, huge comfort for the patient. And the benefit of practitioners, like having their own in-house lab with their own in-house technician is what hit me. That's when it hit me, Elvis, when you and I talked before. What I found out was immediate impression evaluation and re-impressing if necessary. So if an impression was bad, you know, you're not, as a matter of fact, most labs would get the case pan, They don't even QC it right away when it comes to the door they should, and some do the case pain goes into production.
Yeah, they pour up a model first, exactly.
You waste that whole time, yeah, and it sits there, and maybe four days before the case due, five days maybe they're gonna get to it, depending on what it is, they have to call the practice. and say your impression is bad.
Yes, exactly.
By that time, the practice is ******. The dentist is ******.
Patient's going to be ******.
So being there chair side, when working there, I was probably in the operatory just as much as I was in the laboratory. If the impression was bad, nope, it's not that good. Let's re-impress it. The patient's already in the chair. Let's re-impress them. And so that was one. No RX miscommunications or inability to read docs handwriting.
Yeah, that's good. Okay? Yeah. Right there, just ask them.
It was huge. It was right there. So there's verbal. Another benefit of being face-to-face. Real-time patient communication and understanding their needs, like you mentioned, Barbara. Priceless.
Oh, yeah.
Priceless.
I love it.
To feel their story, and what they're going through, and what they've went through, and how much money they have to spend, and And not just hear about it on a piece of paper, but know what it does to their life that they have to spend, $45,000 or whatever it is. I'm telling you, it was game changing to me. The visual capture of like accurate photos, like, you know, sometimes you get photos and they're blurry or awkward smiles. I was able to take the photos myself and capture exactly kind of what I need.
You know what I've learned is today I was chairside looking at 2 converted arches and they were terrible. I mean, the lady had like a three inch shelf holding up her lip and everything. And I went in there to get the records and just having me be able to say to her, I know we can make this better. You can see her just relax and just be like, that's fantastic. That's all I needed to hear. Because the doctor's all like, well, we got to, you know, this and that. And I'm just like, I can improve this. And she's like, that's all I wanted to hear.
So good.
It's so good. You nailed it, Ovis.
I love that.
You nailed it.
And then I have somebody else at the lab make it better.
But you see what I mean? Like she heard a second voice and said everything's gonna be okay.
Yeah, and it's not the person they're paying. I think that's a huge thing.
It's huge.
I'm an outside person that came in just for you, and I'm telling you we can do better.
Yes. And the biggest of it all is much faster turnaround. So these are things that I spotted when I was there that I didn't spot when I was at the other laboratory. And there's a reason why, you know, a clear choice practice brings in $1 million a month.
Oh, yeah.
I mean, it's intense.
They do everything there and they do it quickly.
And yeah, I mean, they nailed it. They definitely do. They nailed it.
And you're doing all these classic converted dentures, right?
So, yeah, so I can walk through a process. Yeah, absolutely. There's extractions right there in the morning. Now that they're digital dentures that are already made and designed before surgery. So then it's just so it's just a basically a naked blank digital denture. But they've taken bone bone extraction, I mean, a reduction into account for that digital denture. And what the lab has to do then, we cut that down just to where basically it's just the teeth, it's naked teeth, after they pick up the first two implants on the anterior. First 2 implants are picked up on the anterior, it'll come back to us with a bloody impression.
Yeah, that's so great.
Yeah, so we'll use the blood impression, pour up a nice model, nice tissue model, and engage those first two anterior implants. And then from there, everything gets trimmed down and we add the pink. And there's many ways to skin that cat. There's many ways to do that process. I found a really quick way that I trained a lot of lab managers in clear choice to do. And then yeah, they have the healing teeth to go to leave with them that day. within three hours, two hours, and then they come back four months later for trial teeth and zirconias.
Yeah, nice.
Yeah, so yeah, but what I did there, the private practice, I started to try and think, okay, how can I take this like fast, amazing patient care to the private practice arena?
Great point.
Okay. If like if I had my laboratory and I see I knew guys I was never going to have just a normal dental lab. I knew I was going to have a boutique cell lab. I only want to focus on removables, but I want to be really, really good with it. Where if you go somewhere else, you're just going to get a worse denture and not just denture, anything removables.
Yeah.
So how can I take this type of patient care to the private practice without sacrificing like quality and aesthetics? And also, I mean, guys, it's 2026. Like why is somebody waiting 5 to 8 a point in three or four months just to get a natural-looking functional denture.
It's crazy to me.
So what I did the light bulb went off and I designed it's actually the soon-to-be patent-pending mobile on-site removals dental lab.
All right so we're talking like in a van.
In a Mercedes Sprinter van yes.
So what yes talk about that process what'd you do?
Well first I started working out the workflow and how it was gonna work and what what this looked like for the dentist and I how I can make this happen. Now, I will say this, guys, of course, it's going to be patent pended. So you won't see a website yet. The website has been finished. It's completed. But yeah, exactly. I can't put it live yet. So I said, I I knew everything about what I wanted to do in regards to a laboratory. And we purchased a home, my wife and I, kind of right in between York, Lancashire, and Harrisburg.
Okay.
So if you think of that area of Pennsylvania, it's a triangle. There's Lancashire County, this is York, and there's Harrisburg. And I wanted to go right in between that way I can access all towns, all cities. And so we did. And not just a mobile lab that I have, so then I built a hub lab, which is downstairs, it's a wet lab with a couple benches. in our in our finished basement and then we transformed the garage into the digital lab. So all this.
She's okay with all this.
That's awesome. Yeah, of course she is, obviously.
Yes, yes. She's absolutely okay with it. But it was, um, I go to, of course I gave this vision to my wife and she was absolutely on board and she knew my fingerprint in the area in regards to dentistry.
Yeah.
And I didn't have to do much marketing because there were already, you know, six or seven accounts or dentists that were waiting for me to start.
Nice.
And the blessing in disguise, of course, is working at Clear Choice gave me enough funds for the capital to get things going and just to start things up. So what I did was I was like, who can actually turn this box of a sprinter into a dental lab? All the companies were like out west for whatever reason, all the RV companies who would. changed RVs into homes were all out west.
Oh, okay, yeah.
Yeah, and so I found a company in Jersey Shore that would transform vans into, like they would do food trucks.
Oh, okay, yeah.
Wow.
They did food trucks, and they also did grooming trucks for dogs.
Oh, yep, interesting, yeah.
So I called him and said, hey, listen, this is what I have, and this is my plan. And he's like, I don't even know what a dental laboratory is. So I took a van up there and we sat down.
I just wanna know if Mike the situation was with you on that.
Anybody know that? Okay. No, that's actually only you, Barbara, because.
I know. Somebody's gonna know what I mean.
Somebody might actually know what you mean.
I have no idea what you're talking about, Barbara, but anywho.
It was the Jersey Shore show. Come on, y'all.
Oh my lord. All right, so you take this thing to Jersey Shore, this guy doesn't know what a lab is.
So I have to go up probably every other weekend. And he gets cardboard boxes and he's laying these cardboard boxes out inside his van and like moving them around. Okay, is this good here? Is this good here? So countertops, sink, all the pieces of equipment, the IvoBase equipment, you know, the light cure, the tooth cabinet, where do we want it? And so we piece it together, square inch by square inch, and he built it.
I had to have been fun to... do that process to get it exactly how you needed it.
Yes, it was it was it was it was fun and I was it was exciting. I was nervous at the same time, of course. But then finally it was finished and it allowed me to do all those accurate measures that I mentioned that we could do chairside.
How'd you handle water and air and.
220 gallon tanks, a big air compressor in the back. Really? Yeah, And now obviously this winter in P8, the winter that we just got was rough. It froze my water pump.
I bet.
Yeah.
So it's mine too. And I live in Florida.
Yeah. You're not, you're not dealing with any of that, Barbara. Trust me.
I know.
But I tell you what, you know, there's a trial and error. There's R&D that has to be done with this because I had to run it. So we soft opened in 2024 and it was good because it allowed me to go through like all four seasons here in PA with the van. and experience all that. And not just that, like the workflow and how's this going to work. And when I tell you guys that it was a dream come true to be able to do this. So what I can do, just to give you a heads up, I'm not going to touch the entire workflow because it's on my YouTube channel. And I'm going to be giving it to everybody on the YouTube channel, whoever's interested. Love it.
Yeah.
All right. What it does is it allows laboratories to deliver extremely accurate, beautiful removal restorations. 80% faster than any other lab.
Because of the lack of Transport because you're doing it in the parking lot.
Yeah, yes, so what I do I combine 3 appointments in one and I do it in two appointments in two weeks So.
Wow, I see what you're saying.
Yeah Yep, and there there's a there's a there's a strategy to that of course But but I figured out after a year and a half And it works beautifully. So basically it's an expedited service that patients can come in and you have a choice. You can get your denture in three to four months or three months, whatever, how long it takes, or you can get it in two weeks.
The final.
Now. The final. We're not cutting corners.
Yeah, you're just doing them in the parking lot.
I'm giving the practice an entire laboratory.
Yeah. Wow.
Yeah, so you have your initial, you know, alginate impressions. You get your amazing video wax room that's needed. I'm there again, so the communication, the photos, I see everything. And then the only thing that will take time, of course, is I take it back, I'll do a nice setup, and then I'm able to do the try-in and process right there on site.
So you go in there to do the wax try-in.
Yes.
And then while they're waiting, you go out into your van and process it and then go back in and deliver.
Yes. Wow.
That's crazy. How long does it take to process?
Usually about an hour and a half, two hours.
Interesting.
And see, again, this is stuff that we did at--.
Yeah, Clear Choice, sure.
Clear Choice. This is, and so, and that's the thing, you know, it's one thing to be accurate and good and understand the schematics and anatomy of like edentulous, Dentist anatomy. It's nothing to be fast at it. There are amazing technicians out there and there's so much they can do with their skill set and they're technicians that need that skill set. So I'm bringing that. But the blessing in disguise, guys, is as a lab owner with this type of boutique style lab and two appointment expedited service, now I can market to the community and to the patients and not just dental practices. Oh.
Wait a minute.
Okay. How, how, how, how? So Barbara, that how, you're gonna have to follow my YouTube channel.
I will. One of the key things is that patients nowadays are going to social media and learning about things like this so they can get the treatment.
Time has been.
So that's genius.
So wait a minute, you go to the patient to be like, ask your dentist to have the vein there. Is that how it works?
The beautiful thing of social media, you know, you're right, Barbara, patients are everywhere. They're obviously on Facebook and whatnot, and if they're getting procedure done, they are looking. It's in the analytics of their search engine.
Hell, you just talk about it, it pops up on your algorithm.
100%. So what happens is, you know, if I'm a patient and I need something done, I'd like my food dentry made in two weeks and in two appointments instead of two months. Months and five appointments with this laboratory, I love it, and they're more than allowed to say that, and that's the blessing in disguise right there is for your laboratory when you can get Google reviews and you can advertise on social media to the community and to the patients and not have to just... keep it in that small little square of dental practices in your area. It's a game changer.
To be able to have a patient recommend a lab to their dentist, that is huge. And 90% of the time it's because they know someone that works at the lab. But for that, I mean, that's like the greatest compliment ever.
Yes, and it's beautiful. It is. And guys, listen, I'm extremely personable. I'm sure you can't tell in this interview.
Yeah, you're so quiet.
I know, And I love, absolutely indeed, I love face-to-face relationships and understanding people, and that is what I want to do. I want to be a lab for the patient, not the practice.
Oh, I love that, yeah.
Same here.
Yeah, again, through prayer and just hard work, I found a way to do that. And learning that it's a scarce, I mean, the dental community, you understand the labs, it was so hard to find technicians. I don't care where you go, unless you work for another lab, of course.
Oh, you can actually find them.
Yeah, exactly. And because it's not known, it's not talked about it, you don't see it. So that's what you're going to see, of course, with me. And I'm going to make it fun. And I'm not just going to help improve. current technicians, but I'm going to create them.
I love that. No, I love that. How many patients want to go out and see the van and watch you work?
A ton.
I bet.
A ton.
I bet.
A ton. It is great. And you guys will see it someday too, I'm sure. I was going to drive it to the lab day. Let's put it that way.
You shouldn't park that *** out front, give tours.
I know.
It's supposed to be pretty decent weather this year too.
Yes, so someday I get, maybe next year, I guarantee you I will. It's going to happen because I'm sure I'm going to get invited to do that. But yeah, you'll definitely see it in some days. It's our baby and it's been fun. But now I'm kind of transitioning with it as well to teach this workflow and how it's done, even the build of it into other laboratories and to practices who want to know more about it.
So you want to take this idea And you wanna share it with everybody. I'm.
Gonna give it away.
You're gonna give it away. And this is your YouTube channel, right?
Yeah, so here's the thing. I'm not gonna give everything away.
Of course not.
So you're gonna have to purchase a course for that.
Yeah, okay.
But I'm gonna give a lot away. Yeah, 100%.
So what made you decide to do this?
Do what, which part?
Hey, I have this idea, this business, it's working. I want other people to do it too.
That's a great question. With three minutes left on the clock, I can see, right.
Yeah, no worries.
No, this is good. So what I realized, Elvis, as a lab owner, as a business owner in general, okay, you have your clients, you still have your clients, and you're still working for them. You're an entrepreneur, you're still in your business, but you're still working for them. So in essence, if they go down, Three, four largest accounts. If they go down, then what happens?
You're done.
Exactly. So you're doing everything you can to try and gain accounts and keep them, number one, which you should. There's nothing, that's exactly what you're supposed to do.
Yeah.
But I'm like, this is, I'm still an employee. I still, in essence, in essence, you know, I'm still an employee. How do I create passive income where everything that I've learned over the past eight, 19 years, I can teach And I can sleep and still make money. And I found an amazing, amazing content creating coach and course creating coach.
And- What does that mean?
So what that means is anyone could do it. You don't have to be a dental technician or anything, but whatever you're- I know, that's what I'm asking. Exactly, whatever field you're in, whatever profession you're involved in, or it doesn't matter, whatever hobby you love to do and you're just passionate about it, put a light on, put a camera on, and record.
We did that without the camera and light.
Yes, you did. Yes, you did. And there are going to be thousands of people who are interested in what you have to say.
Yeah.
And thousands. And there are more than thousands of people who would love to see teeth being made and love to know how it's done. and how to do it correctly and nice. And even more so, live transformation videos. Like what about seeing a patient who has a story?
I've always said that it would be good content of the patients. I mean, I know you got HIPAA and blah, blah, blah and all that jazz, but man, there's some great stories out there and some real life-changing. Yeah.
And I'm working, I'm working through those, I'm working through those legalities, guys, and you're gonna see, you're gonna see that on the channel.
I love it.
Awesome.
Me too, because it sounds amazing.
Yeah.
So what is this magical YouTube channel called? How do people find it?
So it's, believe it or not, first episode was just put on and it's called Mastering Removables with Richard Roses Senior.
Mastering Removables. Love it. Okay. Yep.
And again, you can find it on my Denture Guy page, on my TikTok page. The link is attached to that.
Yeah, we'll have a link on this episode for sure.
Yeah, absolutely. And that's where you can find it. Again, the way analytics works is you have to do it for quite some time. They have to see, yeah, exactly. You have to be a participant of like uploading videos weekly.
Yeah, you gotta be consistent.
Right.
Yep.
Yes, in your field. And it organically builds like a community and like large. So, you know, the first 20, 30 videos are probably gonna be crap, guarantee it. So you have to know that and understand it.
I'm only laughing because the first couple podcast episodes of ours were not that great, so.
You're pulling us into that? Yeah, that's true, though.
Yeah, yeah.
Look back at your first 10 episodes. I'm telling you.
We were not great.
Hi, Barb. How are you today?
I would have loved to hear Barb those 1st 10 episodes.
Oh God.
They're out there.
I think it was like every F word, every minute, blah, blah, bleep, bleep, bleep. But we've realized that you have to have content and you have to be smart and you have to watch yourself and you have to watch what you say and you want to be believable. So we have learned a lot from listening. So I I would echo that.
And it's good. It's different too, because with the camera on, you're concerned what your hair looks like and where your face is directed.
That's why we don't.
Yes.
I actually hired a speaking coach and he's doing that for me. So yes, it's a pretty, you know.
It is.
Amazing thing to watch yourself up there when you're not watching yourself and to see it. So yeah.
Yeah, you just have to get over that and then understand.
Not very fun.
No, it's not. And yeah, I know it's gonna look like crap in the beginning, but each video gets better and better and better and better and better. So that's where Rich Eye Removables is at right now.
Good for you guys. Damn.
I absolutely love it, Richard, man. What a great story. I love how it took you 20 minutes to even start talking about teeth. I love that because you did so much before.
Yeah.
You're just killing it, man.
It's the journey.
Yeah, I recommend everyone follow his Instagram, check out his YouTube. Let's watch where this thing goes. And you know what? I'm not going to say I'm not going to have a van lab in my life sometimes. Exactly.
Maybe I will as well.
Yeah, I love the idea.
I'm looking forward to it, guys. I really am. I mean, it was a pleasure. But to me, it's just getting started. Do you know what I mean?
Yeah.
Yes.
Like everything you go through, it's just, you know, I feel like this is just getting started.
And what's great in five years, we'll have you back on or whatever, and it will be this epic, huge community of knowledge, and there'll be vans around the country all because of you.
If Elvis has his way, it will be in six months.
Elvis, I love that. I'll take it.
Awesome, Richard. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you so much. And we'll see you in Chicago. Yeah.
Absolutely. It was a pleasure. I will definitely be there. I will definitely be there. Where are you guys at?
Everywhere.
Yeah. Cal Lab. And then we're in the Ivoclar Ballroom.
Okay.
Friday and Saturday. Other than that, we're just around. Big bar, hanging out, having a good time.
Okay. No, I'll actually meet up with you guys. I love it. I hope so. Yeah, for sure. See you face to face. It's been a pleasure. Thank you guys so much.
Yeah, thank you as well. All right.
So good.
Richard, thanks.
Tell your mom I said hi. I will. I want some salsa lessons.
We can do that. We can arrange that. That would be the next lab day. That would be great at lab day. I know.
Bring it.
I love it. Richard, never stop, man. Thank you.
Thank you, bud.
All right, have a good one.
You too.
Bye.
Huge thanks to Richard for coming on our podcast and telling us your amazing story. I really do love that you found love on the dance floor. I do love some salsa, and she has been with you as you take your talents to help patients from a parking lot. And that's not being negative. That's pretty awesome, literally. You have some big plans that you want to share with other technicians. So be sure, everybody, to follow his YouTube channel at Mastering Removables with Richard Rosa. And who knows, maybe someday your lab can be mobile too. I want my lab to be mobile. I think that sounds amazing.
Wouldn't that be great? I mean, it's a wonderful, nice day. Well, you know, Indiana weather. Maybe not.
It's going to be 85. We didn't talk about the weather. It's going to be 85 all week, y'all. So come down and see me.
I'll be down there in a couple of weeks.
I know. I can't wait.
It's going to be fun.
Dinner, dinner, dinner.
All right, everybody. That's all we got for you. And of course, those are all.
See ya. Bye. Oh, I love that.
The views and opinions expressed on the Voices from the Bench podcast are those of the guest and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the host or Voices from the Bench LLC.