Human Leadership in an AI World | Ep. 7

The Leadership Summit You Can’t Miss | Ep. 10

In this episode of the West of Perfection podcast, hosts Erin Van de Voorde and Mary Katherine Wathen pull back the curtain on their annual Elevate the Conversation Leadership Summit — why they created it, what makes it different from typical conferences, and who's speaking at this year's event on October 20th in Lexington, Kentucky. * 0:20 — Welcome back & episode intro * 1:10 — The three problems that led to creating the Summit * 3:46 — Why there are no keynotes * 5:33 — Table discussions explained * 6:36 — The networking ROI * 7:37 — New this year: breakout rooms * 10:34 — 2026 speakers * 15:41 — Who should attend * 16:49 — Challenge of the week & closing What we cover: * Origin story: The Summit was born from three core problems leaders face — loneliness at the top, lack of accessible A-list speakers in the region, and too many passive, inspiration-only events without real formation. * Event designed around "Less talking at, more talking with": No keynotes — instead, live on-stage conversations between high-level leaders on deep topics. Table discussions where speakers sit with attendees after each session to make the experience active, not passive. Breakout rooms — attendees pick two deep-dive sessions (12–40 person rooms) on topics like team building, frontline leadership, and work-life capacity. * Speaker lineup: Jay Bilas (ESPN, Duke basketball), Pat Lencioni (bestselling author, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team), Jimmy Kirchdorfer (ISCO CEO, Valhalla Golf Club co-owner, 2024 PGA Championship chair), Coach Craig Skinner (UK volleyball, national championship-winning coach), General Maryanne Miller (retired USAF four star general who commanded 100,000+ people, managed a $15B operation), and Andreas Widmer (CUA, former Swiss Guard, entrepreneurship expert) * ROI stories: One company hired four people they met at a past Summit; another closed a six-figure deal with a connection made there * Who should attend: Founders, owners, entrepreneurs, C-suite executives, leadership teams -- Tickets are limited, so visit the website to reserve your ticket or company’s table today! [https://www.westofperfection.com/event-details/elevate-the-conversation-2026-2]   -- Leave us a voicemail or send us a text at (615) 864 0359 to share your West Moment! This week's challenge is to reflect on how are you growing yourself as a leader? What are you doing to pause, fill your own cup, and invest in your own development — rather than only pouring into others? --  Connect With West:   West’s website: https://www.Westofperfection.com [https://www.westofperfection.com/]   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/westofperfection/ [https://www.instagram.com/westofperfection/]   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/west-of-perfection/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/west-of-perfection/]   Work with us: https://www.westofperfection.com/services [https://www.westofperfection.com/services]

Are You Abdicating Your Leadership? Ep. 9

MK and Erin unpack the "abdication of leadership" and share a real coaching story of how one leader learned to take responsibility, set boundaries, and lead with humility instead of control. * 0:00 — Intro * 0:16 — West Moment: rediscovering art and the Renaissance * 1:13 — First season, listener Q&A line, and today's topic: abdication of leadership * 2:45 — Two patterns of abdication: avoidance vs. self-promotion * 11:57 — Why vulnerability at the top drives culture * 18:05 — The real question: "What is my responsibility here?" * 20:15 — How to work for an avoidant or controlling leader? * 21:41 — Coaching story: moving from anger to humility and courage * 24:51 — The whole-person approach: not putting all fulfillment in one place * 26:05 — Wrap-up and challenge of the week What we cover: * The two faces of abdicated leadership: straight-up avoidance (staying quiet, deferring, tolerating subpar behavior) and self-promotion (needing to always be right, chasing power/importance instead of serving the team). * Leading yourself first: before diagnosing "that leader's" problems, the first move is always looking in the mirror. The fastest way to build trust and culture is for the leader to model vulnerability first ("I take responsibility," "what can I do better?") * Recommendation — rupture and repair: conflict and misunderstanding are normal in every relationship; what matters is the repair (owning mistakes, asking forgiveness, starting again) * Recommendation — for employees under a difficult leader: you can't control your boss, but you can control how you show up — take responsibility for your own part without absorbing responsibility that belongs to someone else, and build a "whole-person" identity so work isn't your only source of fulfillment. -  Leave us a voicemail or send us a text at (615) 864 0359 to share your West Moment! This week's challenge is to ask, where can you set your ego aside, step into the middle ground, and look honestly in the mirror to become a healthier, more responsible leader — one who does not avoide or self-promote? --  Connect With West:   West’s website: https://www.Westofperfection.com [https://www.westofperfection.com/]   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/westofperfection/ [https://www.instagram.com/westofperfection/]   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/west-of-perfection/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/west-of-perfection/]   Work with us: https://www.westofperfection.com/services [https://www.westofperfection.com/services]

Leadership Skills That Orthodontists, Especially Associates, Need Most | Ep. 8

In this episode, hosts Mary Katherine Wathen and Erin Van de Voorde sit down with Shannon Patterson, partner at Benson Koppelman Patterson & Associates, to tackle one of the most overlooked challenges in orthodontics today: the leadership gap.  Chapters:  0:00 — Intro & Guest Welcome  1:15 — About the Elevate the Conversation Summit  5:09 — The Leadership Gap in Orthodontics  9:42 — The Associate Identity Shift  21:30 — Building Confidence as a Leader  27:18 — How Practice Owners Fail Their Associates  40:44 — The Future of Orthodontic Partnerships  57:37 — Leadership & Practice Valuation  59:08 — Closing Challenge & Wrap-Up  What we cover:  Why clinical excellence alone won't build a thriving practice.  The identity shift from student to doctor — and why it's harder than it sounds.  How practice owners unintentionally set their associates up to fail.  The three most common patterns Shannon sees derail associate relationships.  Why partnerships are the future of orthodontic practice ownership.  How the federal student loan changes taking effect July 1st will reshape the industry.  What leadership development actually does to your practice valuation.  Key stats mentioned:  88% of new orthodontists are taking employment positions out of residency  ~$600,000 in average student debt for graduating orthodontists  60% of graduating orthodontists last year were female  West of Perfection has worked with 75+ top orthodontic practices across the nation averaging $4M+ in annual revenue  Book mentioned: What Got You Here Won't Get You There — Marshall Goldsmith  Connect with Shannon Patterson [https://bcp-advisors.com/]: Benson Koppelman Patterson & Associates   - Leave us a voicemail or send us a text at (615) 864 0359 to share your West Moment! -- Connect With West: West’s website: https://www.Westofperfection.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/westofperfection/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/west-of-perfection/ Work with us: https://www.westofperfection.com/services

Human Leadership in an AI World | Ep. 7

Erin and MK may not be experts in technology or AI, but they are experts in the human person at work. In this episode, they examine AI from a leadership lens. Using this tool and being a highly relational, present, and thoughtful leader are not mutually exclusive, but like all things, this balance needs to be created intentionally. Rather than approaching this topic from a place of fear, MK and Erin share a practical, 5 Part Framework to give AI and human development their proper places. * 0:00 – Intro * 0:39 – West Moment: a caller's story about having a hard leadership conversation * 2:00 – Today's topic: human leadership in an AI world * 3:53 – The real danger of AI: humans forgetting how to be human * 6:06 – How new technology reveals what was already broken * 9:59 – Five ways to become more human in an AI world (intro) * 10:39 – Ice storm story: rediscovering what life is like without convenience * 14:06 – Solution 1: Be present * 15:32 – Solution 2: Know and lead yourself first * 18:17 – Solution 3: Make meaning, not just information * 20:16 – Solution 4: Attach deeply through healthy relationships * 22:57 – Solution 5: Recognize your humanity as your ultimate competitive advantage * 25:27 – Challenge of the week What we cover * Why AI exposes, rather than causes, existing human disconnection and shallow relationships * As AI increases efficiency, the most valuable people will be the most self-aware and deeply human — not the most productive * Reference to Arthur Brooks' 2025 book The Meaning of Your Life, which links rising anxiety and depression rates to a lack of meaning-seeking * Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning, on finding purpose through hardship * Reference to the book This Is Happiness, using rural Ireland's electrification as a parallel for how new technology reveals pre-existing flaws * Framework to become more human in an AI world: (1) Be present, (2) Know and lead yourself first, (3) Make meaning from information, (4) Attach deeply through healthy relationships, (5) Recognize your humanity as your ultimate competitive advantage * The paradox of modern convenience: life is physically easier than ever, yet loneliness, anxiety, and depression are on the rise - Leave us a voicemail or send us a text at (615) 864 0359 to share your West Moment! This week's challenge is to reflect on the relationships in your life and ask: What relationship needs more of your human presence? Take one intentional step toward showing up more fully for that person this week. -- Connect With West: West’s website: https://www.Westofperfection.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/westofperfection/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/west-of-perfection/ Work with us: https://www.westofperfection.com/services

Beyond the Brackets – How Orthodontists are Overcoming Leadership Challenges | Ep. 6

This week, MK and Erin dig into what they learned working with orthodontic practices (and from a recent visit to the AAO conference) about why clinical excellence doesn't automatically translate into strong leadership. They share real client stories and explain how to move from avoidance or micromanaging toward sustainable, "unconsciously competent" leadership. While the examples in this episode apply particularly to orthodontists, leaders across every industry will resonate with the leadership topics discussed. * 0:00 — Recap: last week's "stuck on a hamster wheel" challenge: an orthodontist drowning in team drama * 1:44 — Insights from the AAO conference; leadership struggles are universal * 3:11 — How West of Perfection organically fell into the orthodontic industry * 6:47 — Why years of clinical training never covers people-leadership * 8:22 — The high-achiever trap and hitting a scaling ceiling * 13:54 — Two client contrasts: proactive leadership vs. 30 years of drama * 17:07 — Becoming "unconsciously competent" — leading by modeling first * 18:56 — The avoidance-to-micromanaging swing (and the healthy middle path) * 21:41 — Why information alone doesn't create change — you have to apply it * 22:55 — Beyond the Brackets & Beyond the Boardroom newsletters, plus the challenge of the week What we cover * Why clinical/technical excellence doesn't prepare orthodontists (or any high-achieving founder) to manage and lead a team * The "hamster wheel" pattern: avoiding hard conversations until they boil over into micromanaging — and how to find the sustainable middle path * Leadership skills need to become habits, not just information you've read or heard — application is what creates transformation, not more content * Small businesses lack the internal training infrastructure that large corporations invest millions in, which is why external leadership coaching fills that gap For Free, Weekly Leadership Insights for Orthodontists- Sign up for Beyond the Brackets here!  [https://westofperfection.myflodesk.com/e5v99lqacn]  For Free, Weekly Leadership Insights for Business Leaders- Sign Up for Beyond the Boardroom Here! [https://westofperfection.myflodesk.com/ogp7rjb1lk]  -  Leave us a voicemail or send us a text at ‪(615) 864-0359‬ to share your West Moment! This week's challenge is to pick one area of your leadership (in your business or orthodontic practice) that you want to grow in this week, and take one concrete action step toward it. --  Connect With West:  West’s website: https://www.Westofperfection.com [https://www.westofperfection.com/]  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/westofperfection/ [https://www.instagram.com/westofperfection/]  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/west-of-perfection/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/west-of-perfection/]  Work with us: https://www.westofperfection.com/services [https://www.westofperfection.com/services]