Always give more than you receive.
Dr. Jill Ombrello is a General Dentist at Central Dentist, a Founder of Onsite Dentists of Texas, a lecturer at Healthy Start, and so much more.
At Central Dentist, Jill and her team offer a diverse range of services, including, but not limited to: early intervention orthodontics, periodontal therapies, sleep apnea treatment, implants, and TMD therapy. She is particularly passionate about improving the lives of children. Jill Ombrello specializes in sleep-disordered breathing and habit correction for children aged two to twelve. Nine out of ten kids struggle with sleep-disordered breathing, to the surprise of many parents, so Jill works to raise awareness and to aid in treating sleep-disordered breathing.
She recognizes this demand for awareness – and deeply appreciates the incredible opportunity to support family health, both locally in Dallas and on a global scale – which is what inspired her to become a longtime advocate for Healthy Start, a progressive system designed to improve the wellbeing of children by educating and treating the root causes of certain conditions caused by sleep-disordered breathing.
At Onsite Dentists of Texas, there is more of a focus on providing comprehensive dental care to patients who have difficulty traveling to a traditional dentist office. Dental care is often neglected at nursing homes and other assisted living facilities, so Jill Ombrello and her team at Onsite Dentists of Texas have made it their mission to serve these individuals.
Professionally, Jill Ombrello is a strong supporter for public health dentistry and she has provided care in underserved areas of Texas, rural villages of Alaska, and more. She also donates her time and dental services to the Genesis Women’s Shelter, where she offers top-tier care for the victims of domestic abuse.
Outside of her professional endeavors, Jill is an active member of her community. She serves on the Board of Alumnae at The Hockaday School and regularly attends Christ the King Catholic Church. She is also a dedicated soccer mom and cheerleader for her whole family. She enjoys travelling with her husband and three beautiful children, as well as gardening and taking care of the chickens she keeps in her backyard.
Professionally and personally, Jill Ombrello prides herself in going above and beyond for the people in her life. Despite leading a very active lifestyle, Jill always finds time to go the extra mile for her family, friends, colleagues, and customers because they are who matters the most.
Where did the idea for Onsite Dentists of Texas come from?
As a fourth generation dentist, I grew up watching my grandfather and my father take great care of their patients. In fact, their patients were the same people who I went to school with, attended holiday parties at our home with, and who were a part of our lives. My grandfather and father treated these patients like members of our family showing nothing but kindness, patience, and always trying to help. As the population of these patients grew older, their dental needs changed. Rather than maintain our same “business as usual,” our business model changed in order to continue to take great care of our dental family. This idea gave birth to Onsite Dentists of Texas. At Onsite Dentists Of Texas, we provide the same comprehensive dental care onsite in nursing homes and assisted living facilities for these patients who can no longer travel to our traditional dental office. We wanted to maintain the same level of exceptional care during all phases of their lives.
What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?
My typical day starts very early with 3 very active children, a traditional private practice where I treat patients, and a third business, Onsite Dentists of Texas, where I oversee operations. I am also an international lecturer for Healthy Start ) series of appliances, so I travel quite a lot and give lectures to other dentists about how to utilize this appliance with their patients. My most productive days result from preparation the night before. There are always fires to put out throughout the day, but I spend 15 minutes each night organizing my day and setting 3 non-negotiable goals that must be achieved each day. It allows me to focus and not be sidetracked by other issues. There is also a strict policy in my life that, if you have a problem or issue, you better bring 3 solutions to go with it. I apply this to my children as well. It is rewarding to hear my children say, “Mom, my little brother is picking on me. I could either 1) lock him in a closet, 2) stop playing with him, or 3) tell him to stop and try to find something else for us to do.” With both my children and employees, it took time and patience to practice the discipline of bringing solutions to issues but it has empowered all of them and creates less noise and chaos in my daily life.
How do you bring ideas to life?
I love the quote, “Why live between the lines when you can live crossing them.” I have 100 ideas a day – 99 of them are absolutely ridiculous, but one of them is usually pretty good. No matter how outlandish, I surround myself with an extremely talented team who thinks differently than me and who are willing to get in the weeds with me to help an idea come to fruition. The idea usually changes form several times before it comes to life, but it is always so much better in the end. I remember thinking “Why can’t we complete surgical extractions and make a denture on a 100-year-old who lives in a nursing home as well as we can in our private practice?” The idea sounded crazy at first until we jumped in the weeds and researched equipment, compensation plans, and evaluated how many patients truly needed this exact type of care.
What’s one trend that really excites you?
Promoting the natural growth and development of children by eliminating poor oral habits to eliminate the need for traditional braces. I would love if all children could avoid having to wear braces and the technology is absolutely there for children to accomplish this right now.
What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?
Discipline to complete goals. I take 8-10 hours each quarter to set goals for the next quarter to ensure they align with my 1 year, 3 year, and 10 year targets. I work with a facilitator who helps me stay on track and put it all into writing. By writing down these goals, I am less distracted by all of the information and opportunities and “shiny objects” that try to divert my attention from where I am trying to go. I can look back at the end of each quarter to see how much closer I am to achieving my overall goals in 10 years.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Do not take professional disappointments personally. I have found that failing forward has been the most educational and beneficial thing that has happened to me.
Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on?
Always give more than you receive.
As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?
Review goals on a daily basis. Positive self-talk throughout the day.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business? Please explain how.
One strategy that has single-handedly helped me grow my practice is to take every opportunity to exceed people’s expectations. These people include customers, team members, delivery men, sales reps, etc.
What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?
One failure involved hiring the wrong person for a particular job and keeping them too long. I overcame this by working “on” the business instead of “in” the business by building out an accountability chart for every role in my business. I now have a description for the “right person, right seat” for each role in my company and I hire and fire based on that. I do not compromise and I am always searching for the most talented individuals to bring onto our team so that we can continue to grow and provide exceptional service.
What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?
Dental materials that taste good to patients. Or possibly a soundless high-speed handpiece for dentists.
What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?
I spent $100 for a float session. You spend 1 hour in salt water (similar to the Dead Sea) floating without any stimulation – no lights, sound, or anything. It allows my parasympathetic system to re-charge. There is so much noise in my daily life that spending 1 hour floating makes me feel like I have been on a 1 week vacation.
What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?
“Traction” by Gino Wickman. It changed my life in regards to how I run my business, set goals for myself, and hire and fire team members.
What is your favorite quote?
“Treat others the way you want to be treated.”
Key Learnings
- Always give more than you receive.
- One strategy that has single-handedly helped me grow my practice is to take every opportunity to exceed people’s expectations. These people include customers, team members, delivery men, sales reps, etc.
Connect:
Dr. Jill Ombrello on linkedin:
Onsite Dentist on Twitter: https://twitter.com/
Dr. Jill Ombrello on Twitter: https://twitter.com/
Mario Schulzke is the Founder of ideamensch, which he started a decade ago to learn from entrepreneurs and give them a platform for their ideas.