The Story Project with Joanna Scott

Sometimes it’s good to pause and be still before responding. My dear friend and I were getting caught up over a long overdue dinner discussing all-the-things. What was supposed to be a moment of celebration, quickly turned to a quiet narrative when she told me that the offer on the land where she’d hoped to build her startup fell through. It was over and for the moment her dream felt that way too. She was tired of being an associate and deeply longed to run her own practice. *Sigh* Her eyes wandered, “It will happen eventually, I just can’t get over how mundane things feel right now. How the narrative to my story feels insignificant, or even average”.

Let’s take a step back and look at what the word average describes.

“To be “average” is to commit the greatest crime one can against’s one’s self, humanity, and one’s God. The saddest epitaph is this: “Here lies Mr. or Ms. Average — here lies the remains of what might have been, except for their belief that they were only “average”. ~ John Maxwell

Leaning in, I grabbed my friends hands and reminded her of all the reasons she is not average. Completing dental school, landing an amazing job as an associate at a thriving practice, caring for everyone around her, volunteering her dental services in the community, nursing her mother back to health as she battled cancer and starting a popular book club with her girlfriends to name a few. No, dear, your story is not average, you just need reminded of all the reasons why it’s extraordinary. Why you are extraordinary.

This past year has left a bad taste in our mouths in many ways. Negativity, chaos and strong opinions have stolen precious moments when we discuss the beautiful narratives so many amazing humans are living day in and day out. The media rarely covers the stories of resilience happening behind the scenes. Even social platforms have a flair for the dramatic, resulting in hidden stories of triumphs and beautiful victories that should be celebrated. With the demand for sensationalism on the rise, each of us can fall into this mindset trap: who we are and what we’re doing isn’t interesting or worthy of being told.

Raise your hand right with me right now if you think we can do something about this. 🤚

Let me introduce you to a little idea called The Story Project. Once a month, I will be interviewing a dentist on this video-driven podcast and highlighting their story. We’ll discuss how they’ve been fearless and resilient, the triumphs and failures, and the mark they want to leave on the world. Just because social outlets and the media are not covering stories of humans being brave and selfless, doesn’t mean it’s not happening. They’re out there, and I’m going to find them and put the spotlight on each one.

Personally, I couldn’t be more excited about this collaborative project with Studio EightyEight, dentistry’s story-driven marketing agency. Look for The Story Project podcast soon. First episode drops in February!

If you are a dentist, and you’re interested in being spotlighted I’d love to chat with you @joannafscott

My promise is this won’t take much of your time and we’ll have fun too!

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