#20 - Elijah Desmond - Success and Optimism

Elijah and I meet up at for this interview at CDA (California Dental Association) annual conference. He catches us up on current affairs, and what behind the scenes looks like for him. He's focusing on multiple businesses, but plans to focus primarily on Smiles at Sea soon. Cancun July 7-9 Fri-Sun (fri pm classes, sat am classes) this will focus on "rising stars". (Discount code in links below) Elijah has gathered a new-found focus, we talk about the intention for that and how he is really looking at how he can mentor more people and raise them up and help get them to their next level. Although Elijah doesn't have a coach or a mentor - he has many mentors, but no one that he calls his "personal coach". As a high schooler, he was a motivational speaker to kids – now he has found that he gets the same feeling working with his peers and keeps him going! We talk about the bugs eye view vs. the bird's eye view and how dental hygiene is a layered profession, that can bury you if you are at the bottom layer (think of a lasagna). Elijah's partner calls him a pathological dreamer but he'd rather be an optimist than a pessimist because an optimist is 5x more successful than a realist. He recaps his last CE cruise "Dentistry Meets Nursing" and says it was the best Smiles at Sea so far, however after the cruise he realizes that dentistry is much more interested in the overall health integration into medicine than nursing is. Comments on his ads from nurses were of frustration because mainly oral health topics were being offered.  Even on the cruise they showed disinterest in obtaining the information on how mouth health changes the dynamics of overall health. We talk keto diet and personal training, how he feels, why he's getting fit and spending time with his family. Takeaways: Help as many people as you can while you are in the rat race, focus on helping people as you go.  Mentor and when you fall talk about what caused you to fail and what you are doing different. Links to topics discussed: www.SmilesatSea.com Coupon code HMHL gets you $50 off any trip you choose. The Jamaica Mission Elijah discusses (http://jamaicaoutreach.org/) To Find Elijah: Elijah Desmond Facebook Page Trapped in an Op Facebook Page