Locked, Loaded, and Building Something Real

Hey friends!

I want to start by saying thank you. Every message, every share, every DM telling me this podcast has changed how you think about building your practice. That is why we do this. You are what keeps me going.

And speaking of keeping going, let's talk about health. Because here's the thing. We talk a lot about building practices, building teams, building culture. But none of that works if we are not building ourselves first.

So I decided to do something about it.

Introducing: Locked and Loaded 💛

A few weeks ago Collin and I looked at each other and decided we were done letting our health take a back seat to everything else on our plates. So we started a challenge. And then I dragged the rest of the Smile and Co. team into it with us.

Here is what we are committing to every single day:

Move your body for 30 minutes. This can be a workout, a walk, a ride, anything that gets you going. Once a week, if you need it, stretching counts.

Drink 64oz of water daily. Simple. Non-negotiable.

Log and track your meals and calories. Not to obsess. To be honest with yourself.

Take progress photos. Just for you. Not for anyone else. Just so you can see what consistency actually does over time.

We set up a team WhatsApp group to share our tracking, cheer each other on, and hold each other accountable. And I genuinely cannot tell you how much that group chat has already changed the energy at the office. There is something powerful about doing hard things together.

The challenge runs until August 12th, 2026, which just so happens to be my birthday. Best gift I could give myself.

The Thing I Am Most Excited About Right Now

I recently added a CGM, a continuous glucose monitor, to my routine through Oura, and it has genuinely changed how I think about food and energy. I wear my Oura Ring every day and have for a while now, but seeing my blood sugar in real time alongside my sleep and recovery data has been a whole new level of self-awareness.

If you are someone who is curious about how what you eat actually affects your energy, your focus, and how you feel in the chair all day, this is worth looking at.

Oura CGM

I am not a doctor prescribing you a wellness plan. I am just a dentist who got tired of running on empty and decided to actually pay attention.

Now, This Week's Episode 🎙️

Listen To The Full Episode On

Spotify Podcasts / Apple Podcasts

This week Dr. Rich Constantine is back and we went deep. We talked about the things nobody warns you about when you are building a startup, the ones that only come from doing it twice.

We talked about branding and where the name Evelina Smiles really came from. His logo. The sunflower. The black and gold. And Cup of Jane in the waiting room, a little coffee corner named after his other grandma because she never sat down to a meal without a warm cup in her hand. The thoughtfulness behind every single detail of this build is something else.

We also talked about hiring, culture, hygienists, and why he is building the kind of team where people don't dread Monday mornings. He shared a quote that I am still thinking about:

"Culture is not something you write on the wall. Culture is the way your team feels on a Sunday night before a Monday morning."

That is everything.

And then we closed with a construction update that honestly shocked me. This man is closer to opening than I realized.

The Making Of Moment

Rich said something near the end that stuck with me. He talked about wanting his team to go home at the end of the day knowing they worked hard, made a difference in someone's life, and can go play hard too.

That is not just a vision for a dental practice. That is a vision for a life.

Listen To The Full Episode On

Spotify Podcasts / Apple Podcasts

Until next week, stay locked and loaded. 💛

Dr. Ashley Joves

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

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