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No Kids, No Work, No Distractions
Napa with two of my best friends, an "eff cancer" trip we all needed more than we realized.
Hey friends!
I got away to Napa this weekend with two of my best friends. No kids, no work, no distractions, just the three of us.
I still can't quite believe that this year, every one of us was carrying our own version of a scary cancer story. Not just me and Brian. Some quietly, some not so quietly, all of us dealing with something we didn't ask for. We didn't even fully realize it until we were all sitting around the table together and it just came out.
So we called it what it was. An "eff cancer" trip. We needed it.
OUR TRIP A FEW YEARS AGO
We took this same trip a few years back, before any of it happened. Looking at that photo next to one from this weekend is wild. Same friends, same wine country, completely different chapter of life. Back then none of us had any idea what was coming. We were just three friends on a girls trip, no idea what the next few years would ask of us.

LAST WEEKEND
This time felt different. Heavier in some ways, but also lighter, because we finally said it all out loud to each other instead of carrying it alone. You just never know what's coming, and you never know who else around you is quietly carrying something too. I am so grateful I got to spend this weekend with two women who understand that without me having to explain it.
This Week On The Making Of Smile & Co. #2 🎙️
Listen To The Full Episode On
Collin and I talked supply ordering and systems this week, the unglamorous stuff that actually keeps a practice running.
Here is what we cover:
What I Over Ordered In Folsom, And What I Fixed In Roseville — The lesson that came from writing down every procedure before ordering a single thing.
Why We Store Everything In The Open — No hidden cabinets, no burial ground for expired product.
The Systems Nobody Talks About — Basecamp over sticky notes, and why documenting a process before handing it off changes everything.
The Making Of Moment
We are all carrying more than we let on. Check on your people, even the ones who seem fine.
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.

P.S. This episode is presented by our incredible sponsors Studio EightyEight, Dentistry’s Story-Driven Growth Agency. Reach out and see how they can combine custom creative with performance marketing to create predictable growth for your practice.
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