Subscribe for free tips on Managing and Marketing Your Practice
Rave Reviews: What Clients Say About Joan Garbo
Telephone coaching with Joan Garbo has been the single most helpful thing I have done to improve my ability to effectively manage my staff - PS: my staff agrees!
- Anne Pearson, Professional Relations Coordinator · McDonald Orthodontics
You are a gifted speaker and an energetic and enthusiastic human being. We are still getting comments of how excited everyone was to go back to their offices and implement your ideas.
I whole-heartedly recommend your seminar to anyone in the business of serving people.
- Jack Feller, D.D.S., M.S., Salt Lake City UT
...almost without fail, everyone answered the "What did you enjoy most?" question with..."the Joan Garbo presentation!" Even though you are a little lady, you are about as effective as a little atomic blast!
- Mary Hadfield, VP Education · Kwik-Kopy Corporation
Your program was so popular with our staff that most of the comments we received were that they wished the program could have been extended because the time flew by. And, that they would be very willing to stay long after business hours to hear you speak. They really liked the enthusiasm you portrayed and the colorful examples you used to make a point. Considering we have a very professional, highly educated and independently-minded staff, it is quite a compliment to have this kind of consensus of opinion!
- Kim Charles McGuire, VP Business Development · Irvine Associates Architects, Inc.
Your motivational speech combined with our rally was off the board on the enthusiasm charts. Our bankers are still talking about the rally after 2 months. What an impact!
- Bruce Bradley, Branch Manager · Texas Commerce Bank
WHAT A FABULOUS PRESENTATION!!! I cannot tell you how many "thumbs up" I've gotten since the meeting on Friday. You were a real hit with everyone...they loved you!
- Donna LaMond · WhitePetrovMcHone
Everyone is in agreement—yours was the best program every presented to the Society.
- Dr. French Hickman, Program Chairperson · Southwestern Society of Orthodonists
Joan says what every doctor wants their staff to hear, and what every staff want their doctor to hear.
- Michael Baron, DDS
Joan helped us develop a team concept, everyone going in the same direction. Even the patients have complimented us on the difference.
- Terry McDonald, DDS, MS
Her valuable and useful information is good stuff for these times. Our patient management is optimized with her suggestions and our interpersonal communications have been enhanced...we are able to empower each other toward peak performance. She coaches ordinary people to do extraordinary things!
- Duane Grummons, DDS, MSD
I've been in practice for 28 years and I see my practice as having two distinct phases. My first 10 years there was no effective effort to manage relationships among staff and there would periodically be conflicts which were difficult or impossible to resolve. When I realized the cost of this discord, both emotionally and economically, I resolved to improve the situation. Through word of mouth I discovered Joan and hired her as a consultant.
Joan taught us the communication circle and coached us in its implementation. The first few circles were difficult emotionally as there were a lot of negative feelings to deal with. As the negative aspects of human interaction were dealt with though, the positive aspects of human behavior started to predominate. We've been doing the circle for 18 years now and I'm pleased to note that I have very long term staff with almost no turnover, happy employees that mutually support each other and patients that note the difference on the first visit.
You may be the best clinician in the world but if the relationships in the office are not in order you're missing the full measure of happiness for you, your staff and your patients.
- John Gerling, Specialist in Orthodontics, D.D.S., M.S.
Joan’s wisdom, judgment, knowledge of people and their relationships, enthusiasm and inspiration give to others a very special insight on how to make the most of their lives on earth.
- Charles Wear, DDS
A statement that truly applies to Joan: "When it comes from the heart, it goes to the heart."
- David Reznik, DDS
I had nearly given up on my goal of a mutually supportive and effective team…As a direct result of your help, I am living my dream!
- Louis Chmura, DDS, MS
I have had the great fortune to work with Joan Garbo for over 20 years. The fact that I continue to work with her should speak volumes to the value I place in her coaching and consulting expertise. I have found that working with Joan has not only helped me grow my practice but has kept me well equipped to handle whatever comes up. Always fresh, new, and on time, Joan brings a great perspective and coaching to all situations. And her ability to work with the staff to bring about a great team alignment around the Doctor's vision is not only inspiring but also refreshing. I can't recommend Joan enough both as a consultant and coach.
- Steve Hough, Specialist in Orthodontics, D.D.S.
Joan Garbo sits at the top of the list of the very best speakers to both staff and doctors. She pulls in standing room only attendance at Orthodontic meetings at all levels. She is a must when a practice brings in a motivator for a staff retreat.
She was one of the best 35 years ago. Add her talents to 35 years of experience and you have someone who knows what is needed in all areas of the orthodontic office.
A few years ago I had her speaking to my staff regarding their role in bringing in new patients. We are ranging from eight to eleven percent of our production coming from staff referrals. We had a receptionist in one of our offices who was too timid to bring in new patients from the community. Joan turned her around 180 degrees. Since that time she has been red hot bringing in new patients nearly every month.
The last retreat during her presentation I asked her to speak about our protocols regarding cell phone usage in the office. She blew my mind away with her speech. She gave arguments I could have never conceived. On top of that it is very effective to have a third party in your office giving credibility to your mission statement and your core values. Joan is the best.
- Gib Snow, Specialist in Orthodontics, D.D.S.
Working with Joan has been the single best management decision that I have made since I became a single Doctor practice after my father retired 3 years ago. (My staff would agree with this statement also.) Her advice, insight, and experience has made a big difference in almost every area of my practice.
I could list a dozen ways she has helped me run my practice better, but anyone who is thinking about working with Joan should consider it in these terms: Managers in corporations get constant professional training, mentoring, and feedback on how they are doing. This is because people management is hard and it takes training and practice to be good at it. Corporations know this which is why they invest and work at creating good managers.
In an solo orthodontic office, we get little training and our only feedback is that nagging feeling that we can't quite things to run as smoothly as we know they can.
So, unless you feel like you have a gift for managing your staff and patients are pounding on your door to get in, Joan can help you identify what is not working in your practice and help you fix it. I feel like I am getting real time professional management training that is tailored to my specific personality and the specific needs of my practice. (And, it is really inexpensive compared to bringing in a "management consultant" to "re-engineer" my systems.)
As orthodontics becomes more and more competitive and good staff harder to find, managing a practice well is more important than ever. Working with Joan will help you get your practice to the next level, no matter what level it is at now. I cannot overstate how valuable her help has been in making my practice better for me, my staff and in the end, my patients.
- John McDonald, Specialist in Orthodontics, D.M.D.



