I’m sat on the train from York to Manchester after a monthly meeting with Gary Dickenson at his team at Cfast, planning their “bigger future”.
 
Big revelation this year has been the opportunity that train travel brings to stay way ahead of the “incoming” and also have the time to create content and THINK.
 
In the last three months I have had the opportunity to re-engineer a very stripped back version of Chris Barrow, focusing 80% of my time on my unique abilities of:
 

• Coaching Principals and Managers on strategic business growth
• Public Speaking at conferences, workshops and Study Clubs
• Writing across our own social media channels and a guest contributor to other publications

 
and 20% of my time working with Tim Caudrelier and the rest of the 7c team on the strategic development of 7connections – planning our next 10 years.
This is pure Strategic Coach territory – focusing on your strengths and delegating weaknesses.
The net effect of this has been simply a happier me – even the 7c team have commented that I seem to have my “mojo” back after the distractions and disasters of the last two years.
Very true – my schedule seems punishing to those who observe – but as Isadore Sharpe of Four Seasons Hotels famously says:

when you love what you do, you will never work another day as long as you live

It really doesn’t feel like work right now – more of an adventure and a vocation.
Last week at The BDTA, one of the many friends I caught up with was Tracy Stuart, who I love because of her authenticity and direct approach (I wonder why?) and I listened very carefully when she said:
“I was recommending you to one of my clients a few days ago and he asked me – what exactly does Chris Barrow do?”
One of those moments when you want to jump into the lake at the NEC, after unjustly shooting all of your branding and marketing team.
Are we so good at helping dental practices to get new patients and grow – that we have failed to get our own marketing message across?
Or is it that I’ve changed companies, brands and clothing styles so many times that the audience just don’t know which version of me is the current one?
(Note to self – am I the Madonna of dentistry? Different image every tour?)
Well something is clearly wrong if everyone thinks they know who Chris Barrow is – but not enough people know what he does and, thus, when to call him in.
So what do we do?
Here are my top 7 answers to that question:

1. We help owners to create “more profit in less time” (been doing that since it all began 20 years ago)
2. We help dental start-ups (often up to 12 months before they open – to 3 years in)
3. We help established practices that want to get better
4. We help frustrated owners who are in trouble and need a rescue plan
5. We help ambitious owners at the top of their game who need a bigger vision – a new quest
6. We help successful owners who are looking for a succession plan or an exit route
7. We help manufacturers, suppliers and distributors who want to create, maintain or expand market share by CONNECTING them to the people they most need to know

 
We facilitate a 30% growth in profits and a 20% reduction in hours worked by the Principal.
We often achieve that by helping to recruit, train and mentor some of the best Business Managers in dentistry.
 
See attached a PDF of the agenda for my management meetings with clients – whether I meet with them once a month, once a quarter, once every few years – 1:1, in a Mastermind group or on-line.
 
The agenda stays pretty much the same, although the focus changes for each client.
 
Now do you get what we do?
 
And since I returned to doing what I’m best at – I’m having the time of my life.
 
Just one final point – in case you were wondering – I’m working at 75% of capacity and I’M LOOKING FOR SOME NEW CLIENTS.
So email me if I can help you – and I’ll gladly invest in a no-charge, no-obligation assessment of your needs and desired outcomes.