How to Build Real Support with Shandy Vijayan

How To Stop Blending In: Anna Roberts on How To Avoid Vanilla Marketing

What if your biggest marketing problem isn’t your logo, your website, or your social media strategy - but the fact that you don’t truly know your own story? In this powerful episode, Anna Roberts, Director of My Smile Media, unpacks why “vanilla marketing” is quietly killing brands and why generic messaging simply won’t survive the next generational shift. We explore the psychology behind buying decisions, why emotion drives action far more than logic, and how confidence, aspiration and belonging are shaping the way modern consumers choose who to trust. This conversation goes far beyond marketing tactics. We dive into identity, purpose, storytelling, impostor syndrome, and the courage it takes to stand out in a sea of sameness. If you’ve ever felt invisible in a crowded market, unsure how to communicate your value, or stuck playing it safe - this episode will challenge you to stop blending in and start building a brand that actually reflects who you are. Anna Roberts has spent 17 years inside dental powerhouses like Henry Schein and Align Technology, and with an MBA, she has honed her expertise as a marketing performance expert with a special interest in brand and consumer psychology. She breaks marketing rules, rejects the vanilla, and leads a new era of bold, story - driven emotional marketing that truly connects with its audience. Believing this is the missing layer in dentistry, she’s on a mission to banish bland forever. Contact Anna: @annamismilemedia 07894 824302 If you would like to feature as a guest, or are ready to NAIL-IT - then check out our events and programmes by visiting nailitindentistry.com, or find out more about the system on nail-it.uk

How to Succeed with Integrity with Len D’Cruz

In this episode of the NAIL-IT Podcast, Dr Rana Al-Falaki and Dr Bhavin Patel sit down with one of dentistry’s most respected portfolio leaders to unpack what really drives longevity, calm confidence, and sustainable success in a high-pressure profession. You’ll hear a refreshingly honest conversation about responding rather than reacting under stress, building a career by leaning into opportunity without needing perfection first, and why modern working culture (post-COVID, digital-first, always-on) is quietly eroding communication, confidence and resilience. If you’re navigating pressure, leadership responsibility, self-doubt, or the feeling that “life is happening at you”, this episode will leave you with practical mindset shifts and a new way to think about ambition, well-being, and showing up at your best, even on the hard days. If you would like to feature as a guest, or are ready to NAIL-IT-then check out our events and programmes by visiting nailitindentistry.com⁠, or find out more about the system on ⁠nail-it.uk

How to Make Learning Stick with Mehy Lo Presti

What if learning wasn’t about consuming more information but about creating experiences that actually change how you think, feel, and show up? In this solo-hosted episode, Dr Rana Al-Falaki is joined by Mehy Lo Presti, a high-energy creator and co-founder of the Global Dental Collective, for a powerful conversation on how learning truly sticks. Together, they explore self-doubt as the enemy of creativity, why experience beats instruction, and how curiosity, emotional safety, energy and community unlock deeper growth. This episode is about breaking rigid formats, trusting intuition, and designing environments where learning becomes memorable, embodied, and transformational. If you’re into personal growth, leadership, creativity and conscious evolution, this conversation will stay with you long after you press play. With over 10 years of private clinical experience,Dr Mehy Lo Presti is the founder of the Global Dental Collective and the creator of Dentown and Dentorama. These immersive formats blend theatre, technology, and clinical storytelling,engaging thousands of dental professionals and redefining how dentistry is taught and discussed. He has lectured at King’s College London and led multiple dental missions in Central America, combining academic insight with global outreach. Beyond speaking, Mehy works closely with event production teams to co curate content, design audience flow, and moderate live sessions. Connect with Mehy; @globaldentalcollectivewww.globaldentalcollective.com _______________________________________________________________ If you would like to feature as a guest, or are ready to NAIL-IT-then check out our events and programmes by visiting⁠nailitindentistry.com⁠ , or find out more about the system on⁠ nail-it.uk

How to Build Real Support with Shandy Vijayan

What happens when an entire profession is quietly losing its talent-not because of lack of skill, but because of lack of support? In this powerful and deeply honest conversation, Shandy Vijayan shares the story behind the rapid rise of the Dental Mums Network and why it’s become such a vital space for women navigating dentistry, motherhood, and identity. This episode shines a light on the hidden challenges many don’t talk about-from isolation and imposter syndrome to the realities of returning to work after maternity leave. But this isn’t just about dentistry-it’s about leadership, community, and the courage to do things differently. We explore what it really means to lead authentically, why collaboration is replacing competition, and how trusting your intuition can change the trajectory of your career. If you’ve ever felt alone in your journey, questioned your path, or wondered if you’re “falling behind,” this episode will remind you that you’re not-and that going further often means not going alone. Dr Shandy Vijayan is a private dentist, university lecturer at Queen Mary University of London, and Chief Operating Officer of the Dental Mums Network, a growing community supporting women across dentistry. Alongside her clinical work in aesthetic, restorative and periodontal dentistry, she is passionate about mentorship, education and creating spaces where women can build confidence, connection and meaningful careers. Instagram:@Dentalmumsnetwork

How to Succeed through adversity with Nishma Sharma

Nishma Sharma (Clinical Policy Adviser at NHS England and founder of the Diversity in Dentistry Action Group) joins us on The NAIL-IT Podcast for a high-energy, deeply honest conversation about success, sacrifice, and what burnout really looks likebehind the accolades. Nishma shares how dentistry wasn’t her original path, the impostor syndrome and depression she experienced early on, and how COVID pushed her into emotional overload—before she rebuilt her life around presence, connection,and redefining what “enough” means. We explore purpose as a justice-driven“fairness” lens, the power of mentorship, why dentists have far more transferable skills than they realise, and the NAIL-IT pillar that resonates most with her. Nishma Sharma is a clinician, leader and speaker with over two decades of experience across healthcare, policy and regulation. Alongside her clinical work, she is widely recognised for her leadership in equality, wellbeing and professional standards, and is the founder of the Diversity in Dentistry Action Group, created to address bias and health inequalities across healthcare. Nishma advises national organisations, contributes to professional publications, and speaks internationally on leadership, mental health, inclusion and sustainable success. Her work is driven by a strong sense of fairness and a commitment to helping people thrive—professionally and personally—through challenge and change. If you would like to feature as a guest, or are ready to NAIL-IT-then check out our events and programmes by visiting⁠nailitindentistry.com⁠, or find out more about thesystem on⁠nail-it.uk