Blank Space & The Art of the "Slow Build"

Hi everyone,

If you’ve been following along lately, you know we usually spend our time in the trenches of other people's startups. But honestly? Collin and I needed a moment to look inward.

Lately, I’ve been leaning into a concept from Will Guidara’s Unreasonable Hospitality: Blank Space. It’s that essential time for visionaries to stop "doing" and start dreaming again. For me, that dream has been happening in a place I didn't expect: my kitchen.

The Metaphor of the Complex Plate

Brian and the boys have been making fun of me lately because I’ve officially become "that person." I’ve been cooking so much whole, fresh food at home that I actually don't enjoy eating out as much anymore.

The running joke in our house is that by the time I actually finish prepping all the different components of my dinner and finally plate it, Brian and the kids are already finished eating! 🤣 It’s a lot of work, but there is something so rewarding about being intentional with what you're creating—even if it's just a Tuesday night salad.

It’s actually a perfect metaphor for how I build businesses: it’s thoughtful, it’s intentional, and it’s usually a lot more complex than it looks from the outside.

Finding Your "How"

Speaking of intentionality, Brian recently surprised me with the Hospitality Field Guide. If the original book Unreasonable Hospitality is the "why," this workbook is the "how." It’s full of prompts that force you to ask: What would you build if you knew you couldn't fail?

If you’re feeling the itch to refine your culture or just need to reconnect with your vision, I can’t recommend these enough:

• Unreasonable Hospitality (The Book)

• The Hospitality Field Guide (The Workbook)

New Episode: Opening the Archives

Collin and I sat down this week for a "catch-up" that turned into something much bigger. We realized we’ve been sitting on a mountain of history, so we’re officially opening the archives to finally tell the story of Smile & Co. Roseville.

In this episode, we get into:

• The "Wired and Tired" reality of burnout and how I'm resettting.

• Why I ignored the demographic reports to build in a saturated market.

• The birthday "pocket listing" that changed the trajectory of my life.

Listen to the Episode Here:

SPOTIFY PODCASTS / APPLE PODCASTS

Whether you’re building a practice or just trying to find a better way to fuel your day, I hope you give yourself some "blank space" this week.

Until next week,

💛 Dr. Ashley Joves

Find me @ashleyjovesdds / @themaking.of / www.themakingofpodcast.com

P.S. Don’t forget to leave a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts—it helps other dentists find us and fuels this mission we believe in so deeply.