How Do We Recognize Bad Advice?

Even when it's tough to remember what you had for breakfast, you're probably able to remember the last time you got bad advice. We receive advice all the time — mainly from people who care about our lives. But even our most trusted loved ones and mentors aren't right all the time. So, how do we know when we've gotten bad advice?

I'll share a few examples. The first story is what inspired my cover article of this month's newsletter, and the other examples are from personal experiences.

On the cool night of Oct. 19, 1899, a 17-year-old boy on a Massachusetts farm climbed up a cherry tree behind the family barn. He stared at the sky and its vivid display of stars. The pasture felt small beneath him, and he wondered how small Earth would feel in a similar way from so high up. Although the boy had been interested in space ever since he read "The War of the Worlds," he became completely captivated by the potential of space travel that night.

That boy was Robert Goddard, who later became known as the Father of the Space Age. Although people in the scientific community often dismissed and even mocked his ideas and papers (since they seemed practically impossible), that didn't weaken Goddard's resolve. He eventually launched the world's first liquid-fueled rocket into space on March 16, 1926. Years after his death, he was recognized as one of the founding fathers of modern rocketry.

How did he know he had gotten bad advice? It was simple: intuition. He knew better because he dreamed bigger than anyone else could.

His story reminds me of an experience I had at the very start of my journey as a college kid. I've mentioned how I learned about the dental laboratory industry through my sister's friend in my first newsletter, but I didn't totally explain how my college experience felt. Unlike Goddard, I didn't sit in a tree and realize I wanted to do laboratory work. However, I did have a dream of owning a business.

My sister's friend owned a lab, and he not only gave me great guidance, but he inspired me to believe that I could own one myself, too. Then, I found out my college had a dental laboratory program. That's pretty rare! I lucked out. I rushed to my college counselor's office to get information about the program. When I told her what I wanted to do, she told me there are a lot of other fields I can choose and that I should reconsider. She said this profession requires very hard work and it does not pay well. She even tried to discourage me by saying it is a dirty job.

I already had my dreams of owning my own business and had already made up my mind, plus I did not understand what was wrong with having to work hard. She asked if I still wanted her to print the dental department's information and application. My answer to her was yes. She printed the information for me, and it might surprise you, but she handed it to me with a look on her face as if I was making a huge mistake. I still have all the papers she printed for me that day, and they serve as a great reminder that I made the right choice not to listen to her advice. Those papers and the interaction she had with me still motivate me even today to keep progressing.

This next incident happened more than 15 years into my career. Right before 2008, I was in the process of finalizing the purchase of Berkeley Dental Laboratory. There were people questioning if I really should proceed with this huge commitment, especially during a down economy. They even told me that most new businesses fail and close their doors within the first five years. But I had already built solid relationships with my current customers after years of working here as an employee, so I knew I would make it work. I’ve now been with Berkeley Dental Laboratory for a total of 28 years — 12 of those years as the owner — and I will continue to serve our doctors and patients for the years to come.

Once you find a strong inspiration for your work, don't let it go. In times of uncertainty, it'll direct you even when the trusted experts try to push you in another direction. I know that my counselor and people giving me business advice had the best intentions, but just like Goddard's intuition, I was looking into the future and was dreaming bigger than they were.

I want to say thank you so much to all my longtime, loyal dentists and to all the doctors I’ve met these last few months. And thank you in advance to all the new doctors I will meet in the coming months. I am looking forward to continue building partnerships with you and your staff!

I hope you get to go outside and enjoy some fresh air! Happy October!